Germany's president held talks with party leaders today in a last-ditch attempt to save the EU's top economy from the political turmoil sparked by the collapse of Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition talks.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who takes centre stage because he can call snap elections, was expected to use his diplomatic skills as a former foreign minister to persuade reluctant party chiefs to return to the negotiating table.
The head of state -- who spoke with Merkel yesterday and meets Bavarian CSU leaders tomorrow -- held talks with the left-leaning Greens at his Berlin Bellevue Castle and then with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) but refrained from making any immediate public comments.
The FDP's shock decision late Sunday to withdraw from a potential three-way alliance has thrown the government of caretaker chancellor Merkel into chaos, leaving her with only bad choices: wooing reluctant coalition partners back to the table, running a minority government, or new elections.
However, the latest polls suggest that a fresh vote now would deliver similar results to the last one, not a game- changing outcome that would allow new coalitions.
"Germans are not natural fans of instability, minority governments or immediate repeat elections, to put it mildly," said Berenberg Bank chief economist Holger Schmieding about the unprecedented situation in German post-war politics.
New parliament speaker Wolfgang Schaeuble, the former finance minister, opened the legislature by reminding all parties of their promise to voters to deliver a stable government, but also conceded that no-one could be forced to join a government they don't want.
As Germany's usually staid and consensus-driven politics enter uncharted territory, Schaeuble, aged 75 and its longest-serving MP, stressed that the country faces "a trial, not a crisis of state".
He underlined that its EU neighbours "need a Germany that is capable of action". In Brussels, the European Commission made clear that "Europe will not pause during this period".
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