Berlin ? Conservative challenger Angela Merkel won overwhelming backing from her party Tuesday ahead of talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats about a coalition government. Schroeder, apparently showing new flexibility, said all sides should drop “preconditions.”

German voters ousted Schroeder’s government Sunday but didn’t give Merkel a parliamentary majority, leaving Europe’s largest economy rudderless.

Both Schroeder and Merkel claim a mandate to be the next chancellor, a dispute to be settled in coalition talks beginning Thursday among Germany’s political parties. But the outcome is far from clear: one could win, or both could conceivably be overlooked by their own parties.

Merkel was confirmed as parliamentary leader by 219 of 222 deputies from her Christian Democrats and their allies, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union. She got the endorsement despite disappointment over her party’s showing Sunday.

Schroeder called for coalition talks without “any form of preconditions” to end Germany’s political confusion. He didn’t repeat his earlier demand that the Social Democrats would enter the government only with him as chancellor.