German Victory

Angela Merkel Nabs Second Term

Conservative chancellor claims to defeat Social Dems.

She may have another four more years—but is Germany ready for the type of change Angela Merkel wants to enact? The current German chancellor claimed victory Sunday in her country’s national elections, with her conservative Christian Democrat party beating out the Social Democrats. “We have reached our election goal of a stable majority for a new government,” Merkel told supporters in Berlin, adding that she would be a “chancellor for all Germans.” Merkel hopes to cut taxes and reduce bureaucracy; she will likely reach out to the pro-business Free Democrats to make the government more business-friendly, but rising budget deficits make it difficult for her to enact the kind of tax cuts she has promised.