first we have this report. >> for angela merkel, this is the sweetest victory of all.er party, the christian democrats, have just scored their best election result for over 20 years. a day later the c.d.u. is still celebrating. still, angela merkel paid tribute to her outgoing coalition partners. >> i'd like to thank our current coalition partners, the free democrats. i'm sorry they fell short of entering the party. >> who will she choose this time, the social democrats or the greens? a day after her win, merkel won't commit. she's fended off question after question on her coalition choices. journalists asked if her outfit hinted a preferred coalition partner. >> you won't believe it. i stood in front of my closet this morning and thought i can't wear green. bright blue is out. i wore green jold what am i going to do? >> at the same time merkel has indicated she's keener on red, on the social democrats. >> i've made contact with the chairman of the s.e.d. he understandably asked us to hold off until after holding a meeting on friday. however, merkel said she doesn't wa

angela merkel has hailed her conservative's victory. rival, peeremocrat steinbruck, coming in second place. greeted angelay merkel at the headquarters of her cdu party in berlin. a landslide like this was beyond their wildest dreams. results, a resounding endorsement for chancellor .erkel and her policies >> dear friends, your cheers show us that we can all celebrate. this is a super result. i would like to thank the voters who have given us so clearly their trust. and i can promise them we will treat that trust responsibly. thank you. many here were disappointed about losing their coalition partner, the fdp, booted out of a bundestag and government. that this win was due in part to the chancellor herself tempered the sadness. chancellor merkel is very popular. she has good policies. she is mrs. europe. we have to thank her for this victory. >> a super result. i did not expect it. >> the result is fantastic. we are winning massive numbers of votes. without the fdp, there is the question of what the future holds. forhere may be a majority

angela merkel borrowed ideas from the opposition, such as a u-turn on nuclear energy. polls before the vote suggested that many german would enjoy more votes. >> translation: the ball is in ms merkel's court. she needs to find the imaginerity. >> something that will toughen the stance in your honour, but only slightly. >> you may need to see less pressure on off the erty and some countries getting more time. i think the german policy after the elections will be what we have had for the last four years. >> the shape of coalition and what it means for europe will take weeks to decide. merkel and her partners will have to work out the conditions that the voters decide. a forced political marriage. >> nick, angela merkel seems to have the largest number of votes. i guess now comes the hard work? ixed certainly it's hard work. if the votes continue to be counted and continue to point the political players towards a grand coalition. to shed a little light on what that might look like i'm joined by a member of the governing board. if a coalition is formed what will it mean for

big win for angela merkel, her .onservative allies u.s.ecretary of state john kerry warned syria force is still an option if they do not put their chemical weapons under international control. and routing hamburg. in the state of bavaria went to the polls in regional elections, giving us an idea of how things will look in the country's general election weeks from now. the conservatives got a convincing majority that will allow the party to govern without a coalition partner. the opposition social democrats are just over the 20% mark. 7 .8%,ens got about disappointing for them. the free voters have taken about 8.6%, and the free democrats take just three percent. and for more on that, our political correspondent, simon young, joins us now in the studio. good result very there for some. it does not tell us anything about where it is going to go on the national level? >> certainly, the main headline, it is a hugely positive results for the conservative camp, with the bavarian conservatives returning to their position as the sole party of gove

angela merkel and all of german politics and the center right, which angela merkel has shifted left, they need to look to the side. we've got to account for these voters who will otherwise keep going that way. >> talking about the impact as well in germany and an end on the eurozone. there are some headlines saying germany is angela merkel country. are we finally there? we just have one big maximum leader. >> well, i mean, in a sense we are. we're about half a kilometer away from the poster with her famous merkel rhombus. germans identify with her. the german word is completely to misunderstand modern german politics. essentially what you have is an extreme centrism. it's a contradiction of words. she has taken over the entire center ground and it happens to meet in the person of angela merkel. you could also say there is pretty much agreement she's not going to go as conrad adenaur did for a fourth term so this is really her last four years. we're going to see one more term with her, if we're lucky. it might not even last whatever coalition she builds that first term so, yes, at the

angela merkel is so strong. she has such wonderful results behind her that she will be in a position to negotiate tough and hard. >> thank you. let's go back to nairobi where the siege on the mall is still underway. you can see from the latest picture the plumes of black smoke coming out of the mall. we have been getting reports it could be linked to a rescue operation by the kenyan police force. one anonymous source did tell reuters news agency ever going in through the roof. that has yet to be confirmed. the police chief is saying some hostages have been rescued. the operation is still underway. all of this has yet to be confirmed. it does seem there is action going on at the mall this morning. that mall was taken over three days ago by shabaab militants linked to al qaeda. of course -- of horrible situation where 70 people have been killed and 200 more hurt. the hostages are still inside. we will be covering this for you as the day goes on on "france 24." stay tuned for the latest developments. stay with us.

so a third therm -- term for angela merkel may men mean more austerity for greece. we decided to hit the streets of athens to find out how they feel. >> merkel's policies hurt the greeks as well as the germans. but regardless of who wins, the result will be bad for us, because our politicians are weak. >> change would mean so much in my country -- theyenter vein so much in my country that it feels like greece is controlled by foreign politicians the >> i don't believe what greeks say about angela merkel. >> although germany contributed to two bailout loans to greece, merkel's austerity policies are widely blamed for huge spending cuts and whichever way germany ends up voting, it's likely to be felt right here in greece. >> and countries have taken to heart revelations about u.s. spying. brazil in particular. now the brazilian president is proposing to rebuild the country's internet, cutting off u.s. spying agencies and the technology giant. >> as the n.s.a. spying scandal continues to undermine america's global standing, one u.s. ally is not willing to forgive and fo

that will make her popular in the rest of the ee you. >> seeing angela merkel columns people. europeans here germany it is because of german history, not germany today. >> merkel is a calm personality. you cannot be afraid of her on a personal level. that is why i think concisely in an era where germany is strong again angela merkel is the right kind of person to have. >> deep inside, political tensions are still at work. anger and hate are not distinguished. germany's leading role in europe has not yet matured. merkel knows that germany is the driving force of european unification and must not back down. >> when it comes to form politics, europeans find it hard to take up a common stance on syria. they are worried the civil war could spill over into other countries, bringing it closer to european soil. turkey is already affect it. islamist rebels are also launching attacks against the 2 million kurdish people who lived in syria. the kurds set up in a thomas region. it is something million of kurds in turkey have tried to establish for decades to no avail. now that kurds in sy

this is what voters are expecting from angela merkel. that is what she does. she also looks after the economy. the german economy is in growth. we have a very low unemployment rate. there are plenty of points whether german voters can be very happy. >> yet on the european scene, angela merkel has no shortage of enemies. many southern europeans believe she used her dominant position within the european union to impose what they call unfair austerity policies. >> the german people see it in a different way. we only give money for reforms. reforms first, and then the money to help. we helped a lot. we put a lot of guarantees. imagine how people feel -- they are not very amused when they see angela merkel is designed as a nazi uniform in greece or other countries, because we really help. it could be a very expensive thing for the german taxpayers. >> over the years, angela merkel has begin sort of a german icon and her party is using her famous hand jester -- gesture call the merkel diamond. >> germany in good hands sign. the message is, i am there, i am working i

angela merkel was very clear.and straight up, we will not intervene in syria. that is exactly the kiebtd of approach that the german people want. a low key place on the global stage. so angela merkel very much looks like she's going to come through this still as the chancellor. but when you look at the way that the left/right block sits currently, it is possible that we get rid of this current conservative liberal coalition and a grand coalition comes in in its place. but, ross, it is still all to play for here. so we will be watching and waiting and with a great deal of interest wanting to see whether the germans themselves are willing to replace angela merkel, who, as i said, is very popular here. back to you. >> yeah. a survey says 56% of the french people would like angela merkel to stay on, as well. so all angles will be covered. we will have full coverage of the german elections on monday. it all kicks off from 6:00 cet here in europe. >>> meanwhile, back to america, the u.s. may be the world's biggest econo

this is nothing we have heard from angela merkel. it is still a pragmatic partnership. both know how to do business together. >> how is chancellor merkel perceived in russia? >> her perception is mainly dominated by the fact that she criticizes putin and russia openly. however, she does get respect for that. she is respected for the fact that her voice is heard on the european stage also, and that she as a woman has a firm grip on german politics. experts and russian media expect her to also be in the future chancellor of germany. >> how much attention are german elections getting in russia, and what are the expectations for after the elections? >> to the russian media, the oddities of the german election campaign have made so far like the gesture of her opponent, peer steinbruck -- it is expected it will speed up. the media and experts here all understand that germany is a very important partner, may be the most important partner that russia has in the west. >> thanks very much. >> now to other news, in the military, the philippines has freed scores of people who were b

here as well peer steinbruk according to one polling in situ had a lot better standing than angela merkeln terms of with the electorate who was not yet decided. so i guess the race will be a bit tighter for lang merkel after that debate. one guest today in the morning was actually saying that he even could envision a red red green coalition but which would mean that angela merkel might not stay in power, but if that is going to happen, peer steinbruk won't be our next chancellor. there's a lot of instability and really worth while watching what's happening here in berlin, russ. >> thanks for that. what happens when we get this election out of the way? as far as eurozone crisis is concerned, they have to get the election out of the way, i wonder if still nothing happens post election. >> well, it depends on how the conditions match up. what we're seeing at the moment are pockets of growth. we're seeing some signs of growth turning to the traditional countries that are involved in bailouts in the past. this is an interesting german election in the fact that the election isn't almost about g

this is nothing we have heard from angela merkel. it is still a pragmatic partnership. both know how to do business together. >> how is chancellor merkel perceived in russia? >> her perception is mainly dominated by the fact that she criticizes putin and russia openly. however, she does get respect for that. she is respected for the fact that her voice is heard on the european stage also, and that she as a woman has a firm grip on german politics. experts and russian media expect her to also be in the future chancellor of germany. >> how much attention are german elections getting in russia, and what are the expectations for after the elections? >> to the russian media, the oddities of the german election campaign have made so far like the gesture of her opponent, peer steinbruck -- it is expected it will speed up. the media and experts here all understand that germany is a very important partner, may be the most important partner that russia has in the west. >> thanks very much. >> now to other news, in the military, the philippines has freed scores of people who were b

i think there is the cdu and angela merkel. it has moved closer to the middle ground and she covers that middle ground really well. they did not lose a lot of voters to the ifd. the sdp did bleed out. you could say the only strong statement that angela merkel made is that you could draw from her speech that there is no space for anti-europe skeptics. within the sdu and that is a line she did draw today. she did not draw the line to do script -- stir up the discussion. she said there isfor that. -- no space for that. it will ebb down. they're too busy with their internal contradictions. >> we have seen how the debate over germany's place in europe is shaping up. part of the key of merkel's success is her domestic policies. even the social government of -- socialist government of france has looked at their model. there is a flipside treated for all those temperatures who do not have the national minimum wage, this report from like -- leipzig. >. th> the market is doing well. among his 60 60 employees are students and graduate wor

in recent days, he has attacked angela merkel for dithering, for caution.as she done anything about the infrastructure, he asks. no, shouts the crowd. education? has she improved local finances? yet one of the possible outcomes of a close result sunday is that angela merkel could be forced into a grand coalition with the social democrats. it would be an uneasy alliance. at angela merkel's rally tonight, there were concerns the outcome might be complicated. angela merkel's party will get the most votes, that is not in doubt, but whether she will end up with an absolute majority is less certain. her fate is in the hands of some of the smaller parties, including her current coalition partner and how well they poll. the crowd in munich clearly expected the woman they call mommy to be returned to power, but our uncertainties. will she be in coalition with? will decisions over europe be harder? could germany faced weeks of haggling over its future government? gavin hewitt, bbc news, munich. >> despite rebutted watching the auction, right now germany's best-sellin

in recent days, he has attacked angela merkel for dithering, for caution.as she done anything about the infrastructure, he asks. no, shouts the crowd. education? has she improved local finances? yet one of the possible outcomes of a close result sunday is that angela merkel could be forced into a grand coalition with the social democrats. it would be an uneasy alliance. at angela merkel's rally tonight, there were concerns the outcome might be complicated. angela merkel's party will get the most votes, that is not in doubt, but whether she will end up with an absolute majority is less certain. her fate is in the hands of some of the smaller parties, including her current coalition partner and how well they poll. the crowd in munich clearly expected the woman they call mommy to be returned to power, but our uncertainties. will she be in coalition with? will decisions over europe be harder? could germany faced weeks of haggling over its future government? gavin hewitt, bbc news, munich. >> despite rebutted watching the auction, right now germany's best-sellin

>> that's the interpretation of angela merkel's junior coalition party, the ftp. there was a notice of despair, almost panic in the voice of the party leader this morning when he appealed urgently to german voters to give them their second vote. each german voter has two votes. the first is for a direct vote for the candidate, the second one is for a party. >> so the ftp fighting for its life. what can we expect? we have six days of campaigning. >> i think the ftp will be raising this are of a left wing coalition and presenting itself as the only antidote to that presumed danger. then there is the green party, which is trying to limit damage at the moment following a scandal which lou up just today involving the leader of the party. as for chancellor merkel, she will reasonably continue giving the impression it is to need her dignity to even fight an election. >> we will be talking to you a lot this week as the elections come in. as john mentioned, one of the green party's two main candidates is sounding off criminal is him that he supported some warm-up at opheli

hello and welcome to the program angela merkel has won germany's top job for the sir time in a row but this seeming triumph of the chancellor's political cause has come at a price the conservative bloc the christian democrats took forty one point five percent of the vote and that's not enough for merkel's party to rule on their own as their main rivals the social democrats led by peers time break came in with twenty five point seven percent owner breaks down the ballot for us. well it was a resoundingly result. however now the big question is just what kind of government will she preside over she's going to have to enter into a coalition this won't be the coalition she particularly wanted she would have wanted to deal with the free democrats who were partners going into this election with the free democrats didn't even get enough votes to get them one seat in the parliament so she's going to have some tough coalition negotiations on her hands moving away from angola merkel and looking at the election as a whole what we have seen here in germany as a shift in voter opinion away from the

debatee only televised between chancellor -- chancellor angela merkel and her main opponent.ither one dominated the largely lacks what -- lackluster encounter. that was reflected in some opinions on the street. >> it was more or less what i was expecting. >> there were no clear statements. it was boring. thengela and her colors of german flag got people talking, each inspiring their own twitter account. the following day they lock horns again for the last time in parliament as the voters moved on to the streets. >> a former not see went on trial on monday, accused of the murder of a dutch resistance fighter in 1944. the 92-year-old faced a seven- year sentence in the 1980s for the murder of two jewish brothers. this case is part of the push to bring the aging nazis to justice before they die. investigatingice war crimes recommended putting 30 auschwitz guards on trial, 30 years after the end of world war roman to -- world war ii. >> the new striker was shown on monday. the price is said to be 100 million euros, making him the world's most expensive player. after, it showed th

of difference though they are vehemently opposed to a lot of the policies being put forward by angela merkel is very interesting what everybody is looking towards is who will be in charge of germany after these elections angela merkel has got has taken us to say the lion share of the votes it would be the first time since one thousand nine hundred fifty seven that a party had ruled unilaterally without a coalition there a very fond of a coalition here in germany i mentioned alternative for toys and if they were to

>> angela merkel will be back. the question they are asking, which angela merkel will be back and what does that tell us about what kind of partner we will have? they are very hesitant as to which combination will be best for them. they tend to think it does not really matter that much. what matters most is she will have the election behind her and she will not be running anymore. that has made some european discussions difficult. it has made discussions with her about syria difficult. never the combination in the next few weeks, they expect these discussions will become easier because the election will be behind. she will have some time on her hands, she will have more room for maneuver. >> i don't think she will change about syria because germany in general is very reluctant in terms of foreign policy, especially talking about military intervention. even after the elections, that will change. >> let me give an example. don't expect come monday morning angela merkel will go on television and say we are going to wa

room for german companies are many countries angela merkel has convinced the german people that she'sthe right person for the job but across europe people are wondering what four more years of her leadership will mean for them. it is going to be negative that's logical she's the symbol of the recession in europe. is the worst. nothing will change for those when we get more jobs and people have work then we can have growth i don't expect anything from the germans. of course critics accuse her of pushing europe in the wrong direction. merkel must be stopped as well as those wholly represent the interests of international finance who are going to strike just like other satcher parts of northern england where a lot of demonstrators receive the same greece today it leaves three years of an agreement and poor living conditions. whether she's the new lady not sixty four more years of the merkel. as the world's most powerful woman these are all of the. let's talk more about what merkel's third term will mean for her country and the rest of europe with german journalist manwell oxon writer tha

angela merkel wins the general election but not with enough support or her party to rule germany on its own with voters a little way by a newly founded euro skeptic party. russia's foreign minister says law school is being blackmailed by the uighurs which is trying to force through grounds for military action in syria pointing at a huge turn to what's already been agreed. on nuclear for iran's leader readies for the un general assembly pushing to ease economic sanctions that appear to head the weakest part of iranian society hardest. news from russia and around the world this is r.t. with me you nashbar hello and welcome to the program angela merkel has won germany's strong job again but the landslide victories overshadowed by some tough coalition choices the conservative blog christian democrats took forty one point five percent of the vote and that's not enough support for merkel's party to rule on their own as their main rivals the social democrats led by peter came in with twenty five point seven percent a coalition between the two it will be hard to reach peace on a has more now fr

angela merkel says that makes the party reactionary with only one issue. it is unclear how much its message will resonate at ease bundestag elections -- at these bundestag elections, but the party says it is taking the long view. >> we are not just a flash in the pan. there's widespread support among the citizens. we will prepare for european elections, and that is our main concern. >> posters are finding it hard to tell whether the upstart party led by economics professors and business figures is on course or the german parliament, but a believe any success in the afd is likely to hurt the pro-business ftp and their allies most. >> to greece now where the murder of an anti-fascist rapper is highlighting violent tendencies of the golden dawn party. the man who has apparently confessed to the killing claims to be a member of the ultranationalist group. >> that's right. as greece continues to struggle with the fallout of the financial crisis, golden dawn has gained a surprising level of support. its rhetoric is stridently anti- foreigner, and it has been bla

>> angela merkel is a huge victor in this. the party ran a campaign basically built on her personality, the campaign placards that people held up said angie - her nickname - and it was a cricketry for the christian democrats union which hadn't had a score since 1990, when there was german reunification, and germans were grateful and they won a bigger majority. angela merkel almost won an absolute majority which has not happened in half a century in germany. she fell short and will say later today what her plans are in terms of forming a coalition, which she'll need to do. her junior partners in the counter government have been eliminated, which you talked about when talking about the free democrats. what sort of coalitions are there. i'm joined by the european council on foreign relations. what is she likely to announce? >> that is a big question. it will be hard to find a coalition partner. the fdp was crushed. the former party cpd is struggling after their loss four years ago. the green party is covered by internal things. t

captives gained in this election doesn't overshadow angela merkel's and many accomplishments. there will always be dissatisfaction on the fringes there are winners and losers but if you look at the size of the groups the winners of american economic policies fall to number the loses by a highly high proportion. if that economic development continues that has pulled us out of the crisis after two thousand and eight after the lehman brothers bank broke down if that continues then her support will become even bigger and the euro skeptics i think. in this scenario and while angela merkel are celebrating her punches when they german paul results have caused quite increase where the chancellor is big trees seen as a signal for more painful austerity got more analysis on greece's economic future coming out. series actually corporation with the world's chemical weapons washed are in accordance with the international deal to relinquish its toxic stockpiles but the members of the u.n. security council are having trouble agreeing on a resolution to support the design and process russia s

angela merkel clearly won this election. she's in the driving seat. how tempting might it be to have a green coalition and ignore the spd? >> well, i think just on the ifo for a moment, ross, i think this is fascinating how this may now play into some "o" negotiations. what you've got in the greens and the spd are two parties effectively that think the rich should pay more, but also there should be at this point more public spending to help stimulate stronger growth. so on the one hand, you might argue that weaker economic indicators plays into their hands a little bit here. but on the other side of that, maybe merkel can say, you know what? look how fragile things are. we don't want to start tinkering around, raising taxes, putting in place minimum wages that could be costly for companies. so this does help guide the negotiation strategy a little bit. >> well, actually, the social democrats are very much, as you pointed out, in favor of more spending. but at the same time, they are, as well, in favor of more spending most likely for the eurozone. so

they t they are forcing angela merkel and her par thety in to a coalition with the opposition. social democrats show it here and it's done before and it's something that a small majority would like to see happen again. >>> thank you. and australia's new government is promising to get straight to work. tony abbot is threatening to stop the vote and also plans to scrap the tax. >>> cambodia's ruling party has been concerned. pit was marked by allegation of voter fraud. the election commissioners says prime minister won 68 and the opposition won 55. the from oh testing in the prott they said was widespread. >>> thus in due mee in due tunp down. the new constitution was suspended following the unrest. >>> tear gas to break up corruption cans in cities across brazil. there's some violence which went ahead on independence day. we porwe report from pra still. >brazil.>> reporter: security w. spectators were checked upon arrival. police all over the country were part of pr brazil's ever protest that ever happened. nationwide the numbers failed in comparison. hundreds of people took to

polls in germany closed and angela merkel is expected to win a third term. we go live to german chancellor angela merkel's conservative party in berlin. polls suggestive her christian democrats may get the largest seats in parliament. her seats may be limited and may be forced into an awkward coalition with her leftist rivals, general -- germany's social democrats. >> we are approaching the end of the election day. we'll have a better idea of how things will look. in terms of polling data, german chancellor angela merkel is on track for a third term as chancellor. her center right party is likely to win the largest percentage of the vote, ahead of its center left social democrat rival. no absolute majority, of course, this is a country of coalitions, and as she knows too well, you either get the coalition you want or you get the coalition you simply have to live with. the coalition she wants is a continuation of her current arrangement with the free democrats. their support has fallen away disastrously since the last election, further pushed out by the emerg

now voters will decide whether angela merkel deserves to get the credit. on come to our viewers public television in america and also around the globe. the federal reserve has said it will not reduce the amount of money it has been pumping into the u.s. economy. instead, it says it wants more evidence that signs of economic progress can be sustained. the news sent markets soaring. our economic reporter has this report. >> for years, the federal reserve has helped to keep global market awash with cash. one of these days, it wants to stop doing that. but investors who tuned in from around the world today found out the end of the cheap money area-- era was not starting quite yet. >> the committee concluded that the economic data do not yet provide sufficient confirmation of its baseline outlook through war and such a reduction. moreover, the committee has concerned that the rapid tightening could have the effect of slowing growth. >> a few careful words which produced a big wall street reaction. a main u.s. stock index hit an all-time high -- the main u.s. st

the popular vote the next thing that comes though is deciding both coalitions it could be this angela merkel will have to go to the green party to to join to form a coalition or the grand coalition as it's known between the the the christian democrats and the social democrats it doesn't seem though that social democrat supporters are particularly keen on that one the only way it seems that angela merkel won't be returned for a third term as chancellor is if the so-called red red green coalition comes about that's the coalition of the social democrats the left party and the green party but not many people in germany hold out much hope for that one as it stands at the moment peter thanks very much indeed at one of our live there in berlin well look for more analysis on these early results all of this of course is based on the exit polls so far let's go to dr max or he's a professor and author and joins me live from berlin as well do you think angle america is going to be entirely happy with these results of course she's got the most votes but it looks very likely now she doesn't have her coali

the election is seen as a test for angela merkel ahead of the nation-wide poll. >> we are travelling in a bmw, a car made in bavaria, an example of this region's industrial might. >> it explains why so many here support angela merkel's coalition. there's more to it than that. by most accounts bavaria germany it said traditional region. staunchly catholic, it was proud of old ways and the dances - the traditional music. volting for conservative parties since the end of the world war ii. >> we are really connected to the homeland. politicians need to show they look and care about it and are not just concerned with other topics. >> the bavaria version of angela merkel's christian union is the christian social union. it's a strong voice, pushing for family values and taking a tough stance on european bailouts. >> it does the most, say company bosses for the small and medium sized companies that make up a big part of germany's exporting success. this company makes high-tech tubing that can be drawn through and repair a damaged underground pipe, saving millions in construction costs. angel

angela merkel would like the junior coalition partners the free democrat continue with her. if we examine a little bit the hypothesis of the social democrats joining merkel and what they change. we are joined by a professor from the university of berlin. >> when it comes to the coalition with the the free democrats and angela merkel what would change? >> not a lot, just the nuances. the sdp could play the good cop and the christian democrats the bad cop when it comes to forcing the conditions to get the continued aid to the countries in the perifry. the german government will have to speak with one voice, but there'll be a possibility of having a broader spectrum instead of the harsh task master for europe. there'll be a kinder gent ler germany in the bagged. >> >> when it comes to german policy, there's talk of a minimum wage - anything else. >> two areas to look at is labour market policy. while the labour market reforms took place in 2003/2005 came under a leadership of the social democrats, they distanced themselves from their own reforms. there'll be a lot of serious tal

>> well we were angela merkel rally, christian democratic union rally, the chancellor people holding up banners saying, "angie". she has been a safe pair of hands for the last four years. approval ratings around 70% in this country, pretty incredible when you think she's been in office for eight years. it's expected that her party will take the lion's share of the vote. that said, not everybody is happy with the chancellor's record. >> angela merkel is the most popular elected politician in germany with approval ratings around 70% and her christian democratic party is doing twice as well in the polls as its nearest rivals. a big part of that success is because of how the chancellor dealt with the euro zone crisis and kept down the bail out bill for german voters. but not everyone is happy with merkel's record in office. for example people who want a more united integrated europe. the go slow theory didn't get well received, we don't see merkel having the same insistence, she is not someone who fights hard for her convictions but that's what we need in europe right now. >> another dis

must first hold a meeting of its leaders on friday. >> reporter: the spd or social democrats, angela merkel'sonents on the central left. emerged bruised and diminished from a grand coalition with chancellor merkel's party four years ago and will bargain hard this time for a better deal. >> the spd is not standing in line aura plying. after ms. merkel ruined her previous coalition partner to lineup now, so to speak a successor is not our intention, we are going in to the talks very calmly and will agree on the next steps of the process with spd representatives at the party convention on friday. >> reporter: neither side is throwing itself at the arrangement. sunday's win for angela merkel and her party guarantees her another four years in that building. the chancellor's office. provided she can get a majority over there in parliament. her opponents offer her the best chance of that, but the talks will be tough, possibly lasting many weeks. she won't want to give away anymore political capital than she has to, they will want as much as they can get. on europe manslaughter merkel will see the el

meanwhile, angela merkel sister partner csu is showing 49% of the vote.ter right coalition in the upcoming national elections have been dealt a blow because the fdp party was ejected from the assembly. annette is in berlin working through the tea leaves what this might mean for the general election that's coming up. anetta. >> reporter: well, actually, you were already pointing out that the little party's weak outcome in the bavarian election might be a threat to the election upcoming here in berlin for the whole of germany. there's an other side to this interpretation that even could activate voters who are going to vote for theunrstanding in the german society, the fdp, the liberal party should be represented in parliament. this could be the effect. i'm going to discuss with my guest here, alexander schuman, the german chancellor of commerce here in berlin. thank you for joining us, alexander. that will be my first question. what do you think is the outcome or the effect from the ba vafian election when it comes to the weakness of the liberal parties fo

said the sbd must first hold a meeting of its leaders on friday. >> the spd or social democrats, angela merkel's opponents on the center left, with chancellor merkel's party four years ago and will bargain hard this time for a better deal. >> the sbd is not standing in line or applying. after ms. merkel ruined her former coalition partner, to line up now so to speak as a success is not our intention, so we're going into the talks very calmly and will agree with sbd representatives at the party friday. >> neither is throwing itself into the arrangement. a win by angela merkel guarantees her four more years in that building, the chancellor's office. the talks will be tough possibly lasting many weeks. she won't want to give away any more political capital than she has to. they will want as much as they can get. in europe, mrs. merkel will find her win a powerful endorsement for a single currents. alternative for germany narrowly missed making it into plairnlt t thiplacement -- parliament. the christians democrats will have to explain why it makes sense not only politically and historically but als

angela merkel recently described her country as the engine of europe but that might not sit well with many germans and willing to continue bailing out their cash strapped partners and on top of that many are concerned about ever widening income gap and tough job market this and government consultant christe of her still says this has led to a say among the german electorate people in germany by a large numbers very frustrated so frustrated that all the media are coming out these days with you know his pleas in the elections daughter who are to go to vote don't stay at home the government is very clearly afraid the whole system in germany is afraid that more than fifty percent of the germans could epstein and that would be a very bad sign for the system obviously right now many germans only move that they would be ready you know to vote for duty or donkey to get rid of the euro eighty percent of the germans don't want to pay any. more tax payers hard earned money into supporting the road the currency euro. and while voting to say germans will not only decide their own country teach us

of difference though they are vehemently opposed to a lot of the policies being put forward by angela merkel all of course is based on the results of these exit polls over the next few hours then it's going to become clear who is actually going to be running germany when will that be peace and what is the timescale on all of this is going to take a little while yet but what we is very interesting what everybody is looking towards is who will be in charge of germany after these elections angela merkel has got has taken us to say the lion share of the votes it would be the first time since one thousand nine hundred fifty seven that a party had ruled unilaterally without a coalition there very fond of a coalition here in germany i mentioned alternative for deutschland if they were to get in there though angela merkel would be perhaps forced to form a coalition would she go for the so-called grand coalition between the c.d.u. and the social democrats would have to wait to see if that happened a lot of social democrats supporters would be uncomfortable with that the last time that happened with i

if angela merkel is in a position to perform -- form a coalition, i think we will see differences. during the campaign, they have been calling for more solidarity towards the rest of europe. they want the introduction of the national minimum wage in germany something that does not exist at this stage. that could change things. they will want to have secured the finance ministry. if you have a social democratic finance minister at meetings, it will be a different tone. do not expect a complete change. we are still talking about germany. germans are very proud of their system and believe the german recipe should work for the rest of europe. there is a new party in the campaign the alternative for germany. it is an anti-euro party. if they make it to parliament they could have a strong voice. that would put more pressure on angela merkel. >> there is a lot of pressure on her, but she is riding high. >> she's germany's most popular politician. she is a scientist. she has always had this scientific approach to decision- making. she is now trying to betray herself as someone close to the

angela merkel wasn't willing to do whatever it takes. she was willing to flush large parts of the euro zone down the drain of austerity. >> but she is -- >> she's popular at home. right? >> like carla was saying in this campaign of clinton, it's the economy, stupid. >> finally, the french government. this week, confirming a story that was broken by news week since mid august a ban in this country on the use of smart phones by cabinet members. and-and-my ranking minute -- and high-ranking civil replaced conversations with encrypted phones. we were talking about he had edward snowden and people were saying this is stuff we knew before. why are we making such a big deal out of this? if it was such a big deal, why are these bans coming to ministers to keep people -- >> the extent is being known and being revealed from snowden's leaks. but this is not new. >> but this proves that snowden's leaks were significant. >> it proves that. it also proves that government -- france has known probably not the extent of t but i remember in afghanistan, i

there they can make quite a bit of mainly opposed to a lot of the policies being put forward by angela merkel what we as very interesting what everybody's looking towards is who will be in charge of germany after these elections angle or merkel has got has taken us to say the lion share of the votes it would be the first time since one thousand nine hundred fifty seven that a party had ruled unilaterally without a coalition there very fond of a coalition here in germany i mentioned alternative for deutschland if they were to get in there though angela merkel would be perhaps forced to. go for the so-called grand coalition between the c.d.u. and the social democrats would have to wait to see if that happened a lot of social democrat supporters would be uncomfortable with that the last time that happened with in two thousand and five so it's all going to come out over the coming hours to find out just exactly what the what the results are from the selection but it's odds on it's almost nailed on an angle and merkel will be the chancellor for a third term. well editor in chief of compact magazin

whether she's the new lady or not we're set for four more years of angela merkel. as the world's most powerful woman piece all over germany. meanwhile this general elections already been dubbed a public acknowledgment of merkel's many accomplishments she's managed to steer germany through the economic crisis while many european leaders have failed at the same time she became a figure of hate in that written e.u. countries pressing them to pay a tough price for bailouts in terms of global politics she has been playing it low key staying away from military operations she opposed the intervention in libya back in two thousand and eleven and has ruled out a strike on syria where dr marcus kerber he's the founder of the think tank i spoke to an allele he says there is more to germany's political reality than meets the eye for the situation is more delicate and dangerous for. the greater victory is it was. who claim it now the christian democratic party is a party that party mood will be over tomorrow real and practical problems will come up and there has been a very very

angela merkel's party wins the german general election just short of an absolute majority of the country's youngest euro skeptic party pull some rain on the conservatives parade. syria is a breeding ground for extremist militant groups which could spill over borders to attack russia and its neighbors that's according to president putin. and in the court decides to ban any activity by the muslim brotherhood and confiscate all its assets but it still fears it could lead to retaliation. by supporters. from our studio center here in moscow which just turned nine pm this is r.t. with international news and comment so i'm going to germany's top job for the third time in a row but the seeming triumph of the chancellor's political course has come at a price the conservative bloc the christian democrats took forty one and a half percent of the vote and that's not enough for merkel's party to rule on their own as their main rivals the social democrats led by he came in with twenty five point seven percent port of an hour breaks down the ballot. well it was a resoundingly result for anglo merkel howe

minimum wage that he wanted to see imposed that was knocked back by angela merkel saying it just wouldn't work now to get into the german parliament any party just needs five percent of the vote in the past this is allowed smaller parties to get a foothold within german politics one party that it singles may get across that threshold could have potentially huge influence when it comes to forming future coalitions alternative for deutschland alternative for germany or a euro skeptic party an anti euro party if they get into parliament well that could seriously affect just how who comes out with the majority deals with coalitions that have been formed now they say that they won't operate with mrs merkel unless she adopts the euro skeptic anti euro policy so that could be all very interesting to see just who comes out as part of the coalition government after this german election the polls close here at six pm local time i'll be bringing you all of the news as we get it throughout the day here on r.t. and political commentator maurice schumer says the anti euro outearned germany party will s