On the day after the election Guido Westerwelle, 47, the leader of the pro-business Free Democrats, was clearly at pains to avoid betraying any signs of triumph. His demeanour at Monday’s post-election news conference seemed aimed at allaying fears of a center-right government. The FDP was above all “a party for all people,” he said. He promised it would deliver “solid” and “thorough” work. He sounded stiff and statesmanlike — just like Angela Merkel, who declared after the election that she would be “Chancellor of all Germans.” Westerwelle is tipped to become Germany first openly gay foreign minister but he refused to answer questions about FDP cabinet posts on Monday. An English-speaking reporter asked him at Monday’s news conference to say in English what changes he would make as foreign minister.

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