Berlin ? The nearly three-week battle of wills came down to a face-to-face meeting: Gerhard Schroeder and reform-minded challenger Angela Merkel sat down Thursday to negotiate who should be Germany’s next chancellor, amid signs their parties will join in a “grand coalition.”

Merkel and her Christian Democrats pressed her demand to become the country’s first female leader ahead of her meeting with Schroeder, whose Social Democratic party clung to its competing claim that he should extend his seven years in the chancellery.

The two sides have been forced to negotiate over a so-called “grand coalition” between Merkel’s and Schroeder’s parties – usually on opposite sides of the issues. They need each other because voters ousted Schroeder’s government of Social Democrats and Greens on Sept. 18, but also denied Merkel a majority for a center-right coalition.

Officials provided no details, and there were no public statements from the participants; officials said results might come only Sunday or Monday.