Merkel says plans to serve full four years after election

Christian Democratic Union CDU party leader and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is seen leaving after a news conference at the CDU party headquarters, a day after the general election (Bundestagswahl) in Berlin, Germany September 25, 2017. REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's Angela Merkel made clear on Monday she intended to serve a full four years as chancellor after her conservatives won the most votes in Sunday's election, even though they bled support to the far right AfD. "My decision (to stand for a full term) last year did not depend on what percentage I scored," she said, adding she went into the election campaign with "no illusions" that her fourth term could be difficult. Merkel said she believed that voters had given their verdict now and that the parties should accept the election outcome by trying to form a government and avoiding new elections. (Reporting by Michael Nienaber and Madeline Chambers)