PM Tusk congratulates Merkel on successive win

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reacts to the results of the 2013 German federal elections at CDU party headquarters in Berlin, Germany, 22.09.2013. The poster in the background reads 'We remain chancellor'. Photo: PAP/EPA/RAINER JENSEN

“I join in congratulating [Chancellor Merkel], as the result [for CDU/CSU] is impressive given these hard times,” Donald Tusk told journalists at a press conference in Gdynia.

“I am happy, as [CDU] is a proven partner for Civic Platform, and the governments have cooperated together well over the years, as well as for the benefit of Poland,” Tusk added.

Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU/CSU party won around 41.5 percent of the vote, just failing to gain an absolute majority. Former coalition partners, the liberal FDP party, failed to get into parliament, leaving options open for Merkel in forming a new government.

It is thought that Merkel will try and form a grand coalition with the left-leaning SPD, which gained just under 26 percent in the German ballot.

The result for Merkel’s CDU is the best since the unification of Germany in 1990. The SPD gained 25.7 percent of the vote, a gain of 2.7 percent since the last poll.

Meanwhile, the liberal FDP gained 4.8 percent, not enough to gain seats in the parliament. For the first time in the history of post-War Germany the party will not be represented in the Bundestag. (jb)

Source: PAP