German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) hands over flowers to European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering (R) as party secretary general Ronald Pofalla watches at the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party headquarter in Berlin, June 8, 2009. Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives remained Germany's strongest party despite registering losses in European polls on Sunday, boosting her bid to retain power in September's federal election. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch (GERMANY)