German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder vowed not to give up his post without a fight after his party was pipped by Angela Merkel's conservatives in a tight election, setting the stage for weeks of political turmoil. Energised by a vote that put them just three parliamentary seats shy of Merkel's conservatives despite forecasts of a blow-out, Schroeder's Social Democrats said they were ready to talk with everyone on forming a new government. Merkel echoed the line, telling reporters: "We have the mandate to form a government. We are clearly the strongest party." But the SPD had lost none of its election-night bombast on Monday, insisting that no coalition was possible without Schroeder at the top -- akin to calling for the conservatives to topple Merkel, whom he had publicly taunted on Sunday night. "It is clear that Germans do not want Mrs Merkel as their chancellor," SPD chief Franz Muentefering told a news briefing. The election left both main parties too weak to secure a majority with their natural coalition partners -- Merkel with the liberal Free Democrats who share her radical economic reform goals; and Schroeder with the environmentalist Greens who have ruled with him for seven years. --more 2336 Local Time 2036 GMT
