BERLIN, July 1 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a major setback on Wednesday when party rebels forced her conservative candidate for president Christian Wulff to stand three times before he could be elected.
Following are extracts from Thursday’s German newspapers on Merkel’s nine-hour ordeal in the Reichstag:
BILD (Centre-right, mass circulation)
"Forty-four rebels wreck the hapless coalition’s chances of a fresh start…Coalitions don’t fall apart easily. But even while the day ended on a conciliatory note, this could have been the beginning of the end of the coalition’s demise."
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG (Conservative)
"Despite winning with an absolute majority, the election of Wulff as 10th President has only darkened the already dim prospects of the ruling alliance."
DER TAGESSPIEGEL (Liberal)
"The large number of dissenters from within the coalition’s camp is a slap in the face for the Chancellor… This debacle fits in perfectly with the rest of the problems the government has faced since taking office."
SUEDDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG (Centre left)
"Merkel’s name was not on the ballot but she was the big loser. She played power politics with the highest office and got caught in the trap of her own supposed cleverness."
HANDELSBLATTT (Business)
"After the unsuccesful presidential elections, devoid of a sense of optimism…Merkel and Westerwelle are fighting for their political survival."
FINANCIAL TIMES DEUTSCHLAND (Business)
"Wulff takes office with a heavy burden of having been just a pawn in Merkel’s tactical game…For the chancellor the large number of dissenters in the first two rounds is a disaster."
