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| Europe |
| Reuters: German Voters Appear to Oust Schroeder |
| 2005-09-18 |
| Angela Merkel's conservatives were the leading party in today's German election but her center-right alliance lacked a parliamentary majority, exit polls indicated as voting ended. Polls by leading institutes broadcast on German television put Merkel's conservatives - the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU) - the biggest share of the vote at 35.5-36.0 percent and their preferred partners, the liberal Free Democrats (FDP), at 10.5 percent - not enough to form a governing coalition. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's SPD stood at 33.5-34.0 percent, its partners the Greens at 8.5 percent and the new Left Party at 7.5-8.5 percent. With her conservatives the top vote-getters, Merkel, who grew up in the ex-communist east, seems likely to replace Schroeder, who has ruled Germany for seven years. But without enough support to govern with the FDP, Merkel could well be forced to share power with Schroeder's SPD in Germany's first "grand coalition" since the 1960s. EFL |
| Posted by:Mrs. Davis |
| #6 All coalitions totally make government unworkable. They will be voting again soon in any case. The SPD could still govern Germany as well. Schroeder is not dead yet. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-09-18 21:25 |
| #5 My biggest concern is .com's: building a coalition with nutcases will dilute or nullify the gains made by the election of Frau Merkel. Some gains may be made, but the serious issues won't wait for anyone. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2005-09-18 18:57 |
| #4 I don't care anymore. The only thing we should be doing with the Germans is keeping an eye on them. As active antagonists to our foreign policy they and no longer our allies and never have been friends. That campaign poster was the last straw. This will lead to a weak and useless government that will stick to the foreign policy of the former government. A policy of seeming support but in reality undercutting the US in the WOT. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-09-18 15:07 |
| #3 Stupidity is a terminal illness. That's just as true of governments and nations as it is for individuals. It appears that the Germans are gradually waking up. Hopefully it won't be too late to save their nation and its people from disaster. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2005-09-18 14:32 |
| #2 Where does this leave Jack Chirac?? What about the state of the EU? Should Germany go back and vote until the get it right?? So many questions...oy |
| Posted by: macofromoc 2005-09-18 14:26 |
| #1 Sigh. Forced into a coalition with the fools who've screwed a once-great economy into the ground. Brilliant. And thus we see why TGA, and other intelligent Germans who remember pre-nanny-state times of prosperity, is joking about looking for property in the US. I sincerely empathize with the people who have the clarity of thought to realize you just can't get something for nothing - every giveaway program has costs which exceed the benefits. All of them. Every time. Forever. Full stop. [insert favorite stupidity & insanity sayings here] Stupid is as stupid does. Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. yadda³ |
| Posted by: .com 2005-09-18 14:02 |