re: #2 No Malarkey!

The Social Democrats edged out Merkel’s right of center party, but with only 26% of the vote compared to their 24%, so both parties will negotiate with two smaller parties to try to form a government. news.yahoo.com

That is how a multi-party system works. No party has ruled there with an absolute majority wince the 1950’s and even that was two “sister” parties, the Christian Democrats and its smaller partner, Bavaria’s Christian Socialists.