Scholz vows to form SPD-led German government

The Social Democratic Party of Germany SPD's candidate for the chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Monday said that voters have provided a mandate for a change in government, after the center-left Social Democrats narrowly beat outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right bloc. The Social Democrats are the biggest party, but even they are far short of a majority with 206 of the 735 seats in parliament. Both Scholz and Armin Laschet, the candidate of Merkel's party, have laid a claim to leading the next government.