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9/21/05

SFGate.com: Germany's Left Party Excluded From Talks

Germany's Left Party Excluded From Talks

Germany's Left Party Excluded From Talks

Germany's new Left Party could give Germany's left a majority in the country's parliament — but has been shut out of talks on forming a new government because of its communist roots and controversial leaders.

Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats began coalition talks with their allies, the Greens, on Wednesday, three days after their seven-year-old government was defeated in parliamentary elections.

But rather than turning to the Left Party next to take them past the 50-percent mark and prevent conservatives led by Angela Merkel from taking power, Schroeder's party is wooing the pro-business Free Democrats, who have refused to agree to attend talks to seek common ground.

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