Asked how political coalitions are formed, Germany's chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, once shot back with a question of his own: "How do porcupines mate?" After a short pause, he then answered it with a grin: "Very slowly." The coupling of these prickly creatures is probably an accurate enough metaphor for current political events in Germany. Having fought each other tooth and quill for more than three decades, the Social Democrats (SPD) and Christian Democrats (CDU)-along with Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU)—are now coming together in an awkward embrace. After a three-week-long mating dance, they finally got serious on October 10th, with a decision to make the opposition leader, Angela Merkel, the new chancellor and start formal talks on a partnership. Yet it will take at least another four weeks before this union is fully consummated: many decisions have yet to be taken, including the composition of the cabinet.
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