THE Christian Democrats fell into a shocked, incredulous silence last night after exit polls showed that Angela Merkel’s party had failed to reach the convincing majority it had been expecting.

Hundreds of party workers had gathered in the CDU’s modern glass-fronted headquarters hoping to celebrate a crushing victory. However, the relaxed, expectant atmosphere turned into a wake within seconds after the first exit polls showed the party falling short of its target and well below the 40 per cent-plus that opinion polls had indicated. By contrast, Gerhard Schröder’s rally turned into something not far short of a victory celebration.

Frau Merkel, looking tense and drawn, was nevertheless met with chants of “Angie, Angie” when she appeared on the stage within 45 minutes of the initial results. She said she had hoped for a better result, but insisted that the country wanted the Christian Democrats to form the next government and to reform the economy.

“The CDU is the strongest party in parliament and has the clear mandate to form a stable government,” she said to applause and cheers. “I will carry out this mandate with all my power. Germany must tread the path of reform.”

CDU workers, many of them clutching glasses of white wine in expectation of a jubilant night, initially applauded defiantly after the result came up on televisions throughout the building.

But the applause turned into shrieks and gasps, then low murmuring, as the implications sank in. Ralf Weidner, a CDU party worker, said: “One factor might be that when it comes down to it, people just don’t accept a woman as their leader.” One member of the Bavarian Christian Social Union, the CDU’s Bavarian sister party, said: “They’re going to replace her.”

Others did not go that far, but said the party would have to analyse why it did so badly. “I wouldn’t have dreamt the outcome could be this bad,” said Olaf Schaefer, a CDU member. “We’ll have to analyse why it happened and what consequences there should be for the people involved.”

CDU members drowned their sorrows in free wine and beer as they stood in small groups debating what went wrong. The mood turned more despondent after television networks showed a beaming Herr Schröder addressing his jubilant Social Democrats with both thumbs up and announcing that he would start talks to form a government.

Many said the result showed Germans were afraid of radical reforms of their welfare system and labour market. Worryingly for Frau Merkel, several said she had been fatally weakened by the result.

Many said that it was a clear sign that Germany was not ready for change. “I’m very disappointed and frustrated. The Germans aren’t ready to acknowledge how thoroughly the country needs to be reformed,” Ingo Behner said.

“You British realised decades ago what needed to be done. Soon we’ll need a Margaret Thatcher to carry out an emergency operation here. We simply can’t go on shunning reform.”

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