BERLIN (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."