Wednesday, October 28, 2009 BERLIN: German lawmakers on Wednesday formally re-elected Angela Merkel for a second four-year term as chancellor, this time at the head of a new centre-right coalition.In general elections on September 27, Merkel, 55, was able to ditch her previous partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), in favour of a tie-up of her conservatives with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP)."I accept the result and thank you for your trust," she said, as lawmakers applauded and presented her with bouquets of flowers in the main chamber of the Reichstag parliament building.Out of the 612 MPs present in Germany's lower house on Wednesday, the Bundestag, 323 voted in favour of Merkel, with 285 against and four abstentions. Her Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the FDP hold 332 seats.The new government has pledged to make Germany, Europe's biggest economy, emerge from the global recession in better shape than before the financial crisis sent it into it...
Get to know about News and lifestyle