Merkel's Party Attacks 'putsch' As Spd Plays Numbers Game

The post-election power struggle between Germany's political parties became bitter yesterday, with Angela Merkel's conservatives accusing the chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, of trying to stage a "putsch".

Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) reacted furiously after senior members of Mr Schröder's Social Democrats (SPD) called for a change in the way in which the seats held by political parties are counted. The CDU won more votes than the SPD in Sunday's inconclusive general election - but only with the votes for the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, taken into account.

Leading Social Democrats argued that, as these were two separate parties, the SPD remained the biggest group in the new parliament, and could therefore nominate its candidate - the incumbent - for chancellor.

However, Friedbert Pflüger, the CDU's foreign affairs spokesman, said: "Just because the SPD can't come to terms with its defeat ... they are now using tricks." Mrs Merkel's enemies were using "putsch-like behaviour", he added - an emotive word in Germany since Hitler's unsuccessful putsch in 1923 in a Munich beer hall.

The row came as the chancellor met Mrs Merkel for talks yesterday for the first time since an acrimonious television encounter on Sunday. They discussed the possibility of forming a grand coalition. Later, Mrs Merkel insisted that she "had a mandate to form the next government", but the talks had been "constructive, given the circumstances".

Minutes later, however, Mr Schröder emerged and repeated his determination to stay in office. The pair are due to meet again next Wednesday for more talks. But until either Mrs Merkel or Mr Schröder backs down, the chances of forming a grand coalition seem slim.

Mr Schröder may be gambling on winning a secret ballot to become chancellor after parliament reconvenes next month - possibly with the support of the new Left party and even a few CDU rebels.