Berlin

THE sudden collapse of talks to form a coalition government left German politics in turmoil on Monday, with Angela Merkel reckoning with one of the worst crises of her 12-year chancellorship.

The failure left politicians scrambling across Berlin on Monday to try to salvage hopes that a deal can still be struck and new elections avoided. But a fresh vote looked increasingly likely, a prospect met with glee by the German far-right and by waves of apprehension across Europe, where German stability has long been taken for granted.