BERLIN, Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Germany's inconclusive elections could force another election next year if Angela Merkel's conservative CDU party is not able to cobble together a coalition.
Merkel's party suffered a setback Monday when the Greens appeared to rule out joining her party in a coalition, Britain's Guardian reported.
If no coalition is formed, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could stay on until the next elections, the report said.
"Schroeder will now try everything he can to stay as chancellor," one analyst said. "The problem for Mrs. Merkel is that even if she does become chancellor she will be extremely weak. Her own party is already plotting to get rid of her."
Last Sunday's elections gave no party a clear majority and as a result no government is likely to emerge until November.
Both the main party leaders have said they are talking to smaller parties to form a coalition.
In Sunday's balloting, Merkel's party got 35.2 percent of the vote -- far less than the opinion polls had predicted. Schroeder's Social Democrats got 34.3 percent of the vote.
