after 16 years in power, germany's leader and colette merkel is standing down. —— after 16 years in powermerkel is standing down. on sunday, the country went to the polls to decide who would be her successor as chancellor and the make—up of the new parliament. the bbc covered the election online and with a three and a half hour special programme on the news channel in the afternoon. when the late bbc one news went out that evening, the result was on a knife edge. excitement ricocheted around the headquarters of germany's social democrats tonight. dismissed as political has—beens not long ago, the smell of election victory, even if a narrow one, now hung in the air. results, though, still need to be confirmed. those waiting for the results to be confirmed may have tuned in eagerly to the following night's late bulletin. but they had to wait until 23 minutes into the bulletin for this. following the general election over the weekend, germany's social democratic party says it has a mandate to form a government. with 26% of the vote, the leader said he would create a coalition with the greens

after 16 years in power, germany's leader and colette merkel is standing down. on the news channel in the afternoon. when the late bbc one news went out that evening, the result was on a knife edge. excitement ricocheted around the headquarters of germany's social democrats tonight. dismissed as political has—been is not long ago, the smell of election victory, even if a narrow one, now hung in the air. results, though, still need to be confirmed. those waiting for the results to be confirmed may have tuned in eagerly to the following night's late bulletin. but they had to wait until 23 minutes into the bulletin for this.— bulletin for this. following the aeneral bulletin for this. following the general election _ bulletin for this. following the general election over - bulletin for this. following the general election over the - bulletin for this. following the - general election over the weekend, germany's social democratic party says it has a mandate to form a government. the leader said he would create a coalition with the greens and liberals before christma