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Leaders of Germany’s two main parties have both claimed to have won a mandate to form the country’s first post-Angela Merkel government after state-of-the-art national elections.

CDU / CSU candidate Armin Laschet and Social Democrats Olaf Scholz each said they would consult with other parties on forming a coalition. The projections by ARD, a German broadcaster, put the SPD in the lead with 25.8 percent, the CDU in second with 24.1 percent, the Greens with 14.6 percent and the Free Liberal Democrats with 11, 5 percent.

The near result suggests that it may take some time to determine who will rule Germany, with difficult coalition negotiations involving many parties to come.

“We will do all we can to form a government under the leadership of the CDU / CSU,” Laschet told enthusiastic supporters in Berlin.

Laschet insisted he still had the right to explore coalition options even if the SPD seemed to have won more votes. “It wasn’t always the case [in Germany] that the parties which were in first place provided the chancellor, ”he declared on television.

The CDU has managed to reclaim just enough ground to shine a remarkable rise for Scholz – but the SPD has the electoral momentum, writes Ben Hall.

Five other articles in the news

1. Johnson to deploy military in UK fuel crisis Boris Johnson is preparing to enlist hundreds of soldiers to drive tankers to fight the fuel crisis. At least half of the service stations outside the motorway network have run out of gas after a wave of panic buying. A senior government official said: “The situation in England is very bad. “

2. Investors are withdrawing money from Spacs Investors are withdrawing money from special-purpose acquisition companies at increasing rates: A number of vehicles have seen their trust accounts nearly wiped out as more than 90% of shareholders have redeemed their investments, a sign that the Wall Street’s most popular product is falling out of favor.

3. SoftBank expects a revival in live music SoftBank and former Apple and Nest executive Tony Fadell are among those investing $ 122 million in UK ticketing app Dice, betting the live music industry will not only recover but benefit finally, a “redesign” imposed by the pandemic.

4. Indonesian tech start-ups drop US lists The successful nationwide listing of Indonesian e-commerce group Bukalapak last month prompted other start-ups in the country to abandon plans for overseas equity offerings in favor of a local one – one day reporting payroll for large foreign donors.

5. Chinese companies claim intellectual property rights Foreign companies are becoming the target of a growing number of intellectual property lawsuits filed by Chinese companies, with some receiving large payments for damages under tightened intellectual property protection laws. The number of such lawsuits in China more than tripled from 2016 to 2020.

Coronavirus digest

• Chris Gray, UK managing director of recruitment agency Manpower, doesn’t think labor shortage will ease when the UK ends its short-term pandemic work program next week. A similar story is playing out in the United States and the eurozone, where the shortage has in some cases inflated wages.

• With vaccines being administered around the world, scientists are preparing a new weapon to fight Covid: a antiviral medicines to treat the worst symptoms.

• The pandemic has triggered the steepest falls in life expectancy since World War II in most developed countries, American men being the hardest hit.

• For the biggest in Britain nursing home operator, the pandemic that has claimed more than 2,000 of its residents is far from over, with dozens of its locations locked out.

To follow our live coverage and Register now To the road to recovery for a regular briefing on businesses and the economy in a world transformed by the pandemic.

The day to come

euro questions The European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs will question the President of the European Central Bank Christine Lagarde on the state of the euro zone, inflation and the risks to price stability. (EU rapporteur)

American durable goods Positive business investment and consumer spending should have boosted new durable goods orders in the United States in August, data of which is due today. (WSJ)

Aldi results The discount grocery chain is announcing results for the year ended December 2020, which could reveal the effects of not having an online option during the pandemic.

The nominees of Sakharov The nominees for this year’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought will be presented to European lawmakers. (PE)

What else do we read

The battle for Afghan libraries As the country’s cultural and educational institutions face Taliban rule, the West still has ways to help, writes Richard Ovenden.

Evergrande’s lessons for China For much of this year, commentators have warned that falling yields suggest the bond market is increasingly irrational. Now, writes Ruchir Sharma, events in China suggest that bond markets are far from ignorant or crazy.

No country for young men For decades, old people have pulled the strings of Japanese politics, writes Kana Inagaki. But young parliamentarians are seeking to have a greater voice in the governance of the world’s fastest-aging society as the race to replace Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga intensifies.

Back to earth Bob Cantisano, dying of throat cancer, did not know what to do with his body. There was no question of burying poisonous embalming fluid in the earth – he was a longtime environmentalist. Then his wife heard about human composting. (Harpers)

Hollywood’s Most Powerful Woman Ann Sarnoff, an outsider once unknown to many in the entertainment world, took over WarnerMedia during a turbulent time – and led it through the pandemic storm. (Vanity Fair)

To travel

Four new hotels for a city break Maria Shollenbarger checks in to some upscale vacation destinations in Los Angeles, London, Paris and Boston. (HTSI)