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Angela Merkel reelected as German Chancellor

Almost six months after the parliamentary election, Germany will finally have a new government

© Gregor Fischer/dpa via AP

BERLIN, March 14. /TASS/.The German Bundestag has re-elected Angela Merkel as the country’s chancellor on Wednesday. She received 364 out of 688 valid votes in the 709-member Bundestag.

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Since the parties comprising the coalition government - the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) - have 399 seats in the Bundestag, Merkel was sure to be re-elected as she needed to gain 355 votes.

"Do you accept the vote?" Bundestag Speaker Wolfgang Schauble asked Merkel after the results had been announced. "Yes, I accept the vote," she answered. Schauble wished the newly elected chancellor "success and luck in resolving serious issues."

At 12:30 local time, Merkel will travel to Schloss Bellevue to receive a letter of appointment from German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and then will return to the Bundestag to take the oath of office.

Almost six months after the parliamentary election, Germany will finally have a new government, which is scheduled to hold its first meeting at 17:00 local time on Wednesday.

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