Merkel seeks to ease fears of social change
BERLIN — Germans have rarely been so divided about the changes taking place in their society, longtime leader Angela Merkel said Sunday, adding in her New Year’s address that she is committed to helping tackle the challenges of the future by swiftly forming a new government.
Germany has been in political limbo since elections in September, which saw heavy losses for the centrist “grand coalition” that has run the country since 2013. Merkel’s attempt to forge a new government with two smaller parties failed, forcing her to reach out to her former partners, the Social Democrats, again.