Merkel hails election win, says too soon to discuss plans

Chancellor Angela Merkel hailed her conservative bloc's victory in Germany's national election on Sunday as an excellent result but said it was too early to discuss plans for the next government.

"This is a super result," Merkel told cheering supporters after television exit polls showed her Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party had won 42% to 42.5%. "We will do all we can in the next four years together to make them successful years for Germany. It is too early to say how we will proceed but today we should celebrate." (Reuters)