German Chancellor Angela Merkel congratulated Olaf Scholz, the leader of the Social Democrats, on his election success, a government spokesperson said in a written statement on Tuesday.
In the national election, the SPD came marginally ahead of her conservative bloc, leading some in her party to say they should aim to form a government. Scholz has asserted that he alone won a mandate to seek a coalition.
"The Chancellor on Monday congratulated Olaf Scholz on his election success," the statement read.
(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Riham Alkousaa)
