If it were a film it might be called "Angela Merkel: Home Alone" but unfortunately for Germany and its designated chancellor this is no family-friendly Hollywood romp. Of the four people leading negotiations to form a so-called grand coalition, only Christian Democrats (CDU) leader Merkel is certain to have a role in the potential bipartisan government.

Outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schröder already said he would not join her cabinet and after announcing he would step down on Monday as head of the SPD, Müntefering's role as vice chancellor and labor minister is far from certain. Edmund Stoiber, the head of the CDU's Bavarian sister party the CSU, has opted to flee the chaos in Berlin for his comfy regional fiefdom in Munich. The criticism has been withering -- especially from his own party.

Germany's largest newspaper Bild tore into Stoiber calling him the "eternal ditherer" over his well-documented indecision. "Müntefering commits hara-kiri, Stoiber chickens out and runs back to Bavaria. And Merkel? No one knows where her political journey will take her: into the chancellor’s office or to political nirvana?" askes the paper, adding that Germany's politicians were acting without consideration for what's best for the country. "Irresponsibility, cowardice, personal vanity, whining and chaos are becoming the maxims of political action. There is a stink in Berlin – a huge one!"

The business daily Handelsblatt points out that running away when the going gets tough is a well-established course of action in Germany. Under the headline "Desertion in Berlin," the paper's editorial laments that it has become acceptable for the country's political elite to rashly flee from responsibility. Edmund Stoiber is, however, perhaps the worst example, opines Handelsblatt. "Sense of duty, loyalty and reliability? Even with the best of intentions it's impossible to find these qualities in Stoiber's behavior," writes the paper. "It is astonishing that the CSU obediently puts up with his actions."

Munich's center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung also pulled no punches in addressing the Bavarian premier's actions: "This is the end of the Stoiber era -- he gave the CSU back its self-confidence and now he’s ruining it," the newspaper opines, adding the coalition negotiations will now be like holding a séance. "On the red side of the table are Schröder and Müntefering, the ghosts of yesterday. And on the black side is Stoiber, a faltering figure, a spirit who doesn’t know what he wants."

The left-wing newspaper Die Tageszeitung takes a lighter view at the apparent élan with which top politicians are ditching gainful employment. "Finally work! The grand coalition of the CDU and SPD is already creating new jobs," jokes the TAZ. More seriously, the paper writes that the scope of the latest crisis likely isn't nearly so grave as it has been made out to be. The Berlin publication even expresses relief that Edmund Stoiber won't be moving to the capital any time soon: "That Stoiber used the 24 hours of uncertainty over Franz Müntefering to beat a hasty retreat to Munich is mostly unfortunate for himself and secondly for Bavaria, but certainly not for Berlin."