CONGRATULATIONS MRS. MERKEL !

Chancelor Angela Merkel has achieved a remarkable 41.5% of the vote (see breakdown below). The next weeks in Berlin are going to turn into a period of gamesmanship as Mrs. Merkel tries to form a stable governing coalition. Her only options are the Greens and the Social Democrats. Germans would be happy with a so-called 'grand coalition' with the Social Democrats because it would unite the country's two largest political parties. Such a government would also have a majority in the upper house of parliament- the Bundesrat offering support for Mrs.Merkel throughout the legislature.

One thing is for certain: The future of Europe lies in German hands and Berlin is de facto the capital of the EU. Of course, the EU's main institutions are still based in Brussels but the key decisions are going to increasingly be made in Berlin.

If the EU is to continue to function, some damage limitation is needed. The German government must show constructive leadership in the euro crisis. Leadership should include greater willingness to discuss Germany's own contribution to strengthening European demand, as well as presentation of a vigorous case to the German people that saving the euro, and the achievements of European integration, lie at the heart of German national interest. Germany's European partners, in turn, should be more sympathetic to Mrs. Merkel's domestic constraints. If they want Berlin to engage in an open debate about how to reduce the damaging imbalances in the eurozone, they must accept the German mantra that solidarity only works alongside responsibility (in the shape of rigorous national plans for long-term budgetary consolidation). They should also remember to highlight some of the strengths of the German economic model. Further, EU countries outside the eurozone should acknowledge that the fate of the single currency is of pivotal importance for them too—and act accordingly. Without such an attitudinal shift, a permanent split between eurozone countries and those outside the single currency is inevitable.

Voting Results:

1. CDU/CSU : 41.5%
2. FDP: 4.8%
3. Alternative for Germany: 4.7%
4. Others: 4.1%
5. SPD: 25.7%
6. The Greens: 8.4%
7. The Left: 8.6%
8. Pirate Party: 2.2%