BERLIN, Jan 22 (Reuters) - UniCredit chief

Andrea Orcel wants to discuss a planned takeover of Commerzbank

with the new German government and hopes for some

clarity at the latest by the end of the year, he told German

paper FAZ.

Germans will elect a new government on Feb. 23 and polls

suggest that conservative chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz

could succeed Chancellor Olaf Scholz, a Social Democrat, who

opposes the deal.

"Without the support of such an important institution as the

German government it will be difficult," Orcel was quoted as

saying in an interview. "I hope for the summer. Overall we

should know where we stand by the end of the year at the

latest."