Merkel struggles to avert talks collapse

Berlin: Chancellor Angela Merkel was struggling Sunday to prevent a collapse in high stakes coalition talks, which could force new elections and destabilise Germany and Europe. Elections in September left the veteran leader weakened and without a majority as some of her party´s voters turned to the far-right AfD, angered by her liberal refugee policy. The disputed decision to let in more than a million asylum seekers since 2015 is also proving to be a stumbling block as she seeks an alliance with an unlikely group of parties spanning the left and right of the political spectrum. Merkel´s conservative CDU party and its Bavarian allies the CSU have been trying to find common ground with the pro-business FDP and the Greens.