Dismissed: Germany’s Merkel becomes caretaker chancellor

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and FRANK JORDANS
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Angela Merkel took a step closer to political retirement Tuesday after receiving her formal dismissal certificate from the post of chancellor after 16 years in office. She will lead a caretaker government until her successor is sworn in. Earlier, she attended the opening session of Germany’s new parliament, which elected as its new speaker a member of the Social Democratic Party that beat Merkel’s Union bloc in the Sept. 26 vote. The three parties that hope to form Germany’s new government said last week they aim to have the country’s next chancellor in place in early December. The Social Democrats, environmentalist Greens and pro-business Free Democrats opened formal coalition talks following a preliminary deal earlier this month.