Talks on forming a coalition government in Germany have collapsed, leaving Angela Merkel facing her biggest challenge in 12 years as chancellor.
The free-market liberal FDP pulled out after four weeks of talks with Mrs Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc and the Greens.
FDP leader Christian Lindner said there was "no basis of trust" between them.
What happens next is unclear, but Mrs Merkel has met President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who has the power to call elections.
This is - for post-war Germany - an unprecedented political crisis that could spell the end of the Merkel era.
Weakened by a poor election result in September, the proposed coalition was Mrs Merkel's only shot at forming a new government.
Germany will now - in all probability - have to go back to the ballot box. But it's not at all certain that Mrs Merkel's party will want her to lead them into a fresh election.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42047532
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this could have a profound effect on Brexit negotiations.