Merkel Fourth Term in Doubt as German Coalition Talks Fail

German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during the exploratory talks about forming a new coalition government in Berlin, Germany, November 19, 2017. Reuters/Axel Schmidt

BERLIN—Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday her efforts to form a three-way coalition government had failed, thrusting Germany into a political crisis and pushing Europe’s largest economy closer to a possible new election.