Angela Merkel has found herself with an unexpected hurdle on the road to an
election victory after her Bavarian ally vowed not to form a new coalition
with her unless he was allowed to impose road tolls on foreign drivers.

The man causing Mrs Merkel a headache is Horst Seehofer, maverick head of the
Christian Social Union, Bavaria’s main conservative party, who is fighting
for his own re-election in a state poll on September 15, one week before the
national vote.

Mrs Merkel is opposed to road tolls but she needs the 44 MPs from Mr
Seehofer’s CSU in the