Skip to main content  German elections and Europe's economy:
Five things you need to know  By Nina Dos Santos and Irene
Chapple, CNN   • Angela Merkel has made big gains in Germany's
election, and has a mandate to form a government   • Her return
signals a consistent approach to the eurozone's crisis control
• A strengthened mandate means she may insist on more cuts as
some euro nations struggle   • While the crisis has claimed the
scalps of more boisterous leaders, Merkel's consistency has kept
her in power  London (CNN) -- Is a third term of Angela Merkel
as German chancellor good for Europe?  Angela Merkel has emerged
from the weekend's elections with the Christian Democratic
Union's biggest vote for 20 years. She now has a strong mandate
to form a government in which she would serve as chancellor.
The CDU is now likely to negotiate a "grand coalition" with the
Social Democratic Party after the pro-business Free Democrats,
Merkel's previous coalition partner, failed to pass the 5%
threshold for getting