Makes it rather likely the socialists (Social Democrats) will have to form a coalition with the Christian Democrats
thanks for the clarification, they are both socialist right? one is just a bit further to the left?
This is very big.
Simonis / SPD lost the election in Schleswig-Holstein (S-H). Even with the Greens she would have come up short. She tried to cut a deal with a Danish fringe party that normally wouldn't send members to parliament, but have an exception to the 5% rule from many years back.
Apparently, a delegate from the SPD, Greens or SSW held back thieir vote for Simonis as S-H premier. Schroeder told Simonis to keep trying to force that vote out, from what I've read. After 4 tries, however, she quit asking for votes and resigned. Extremely embarassing.
Now, here's what I think this all means: If S-H goes to a grand coalition, which would be the SPD and the opposition CDU, the votes of the delegates from S-H wouldn't count in the German parliament. Normally, if a state has a SPD government, their delegates vote SPD in the federal parliament. In a state governed by both parties, the delegates don't vote, or the vote is split and neutralized (I'm not sure which).
As it is now, the state election in NordRhein-Westfalia (NRW) in May will determine if Schroeder can keep his veto power. If the CDU wins in NRW, they will reach the number of delegates in the federal parliament to override any Schroeder veto.
Fischer, the Greens icon, is dragging them down with his stonewalling on the Visa Scandal. Schroeder is starting to get pinned with the responsibility for the economic woes. With this embarassment in S-H, the SPD-Greens will suffer a big hit in NRW to add to the misery.
From what I gather, the voters in S-H want a re-vote. The SSW shouldn't have been allowed to dictate politics, especially with their liberal school reform ideas. Simonis figuratively gave everyone the finger with her posturing, and someone obvously felt it was payback time.
David's Medienkritik is covering this in English. They're a good place to follow the events.
New elections in Germany are not out of the picture, now, I believe, especially if the CDU can take NRW.
longjack