Its clear that she will get the 50 percent she needs. The question will be how big that the Left Party wins. If they clear over five percent...then they sit in the parliament...and this is going to provide some great discussions. I'm betting they carry over 12 percent...and that will make them a player in future poltics.
Perhaps, but I'll guess that the Left Party is a sign of the further fracturing of the German socialists, and the third link below sez perhaps 8 per cent, but as much as 30 per cent of the vote in the former EG.
Schroeder reportedly doesn't mention the Greens (his allies in the coalition, and a source of frequent humiliation -- either they're saying stupid things and undermining German-US relations, or undermining his political credibility by pointing out his shortcomings), and the reprehensible Joschka Fischer -- part of the cabinent -- appears to be going down to defeat.
That will be something to savor.
Maybe Fischer will go back to his pastime of attacking police officers after he's thrown out of office at last.
Germany's Stoiber confident Schroeder is finished
http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews&id=18630
Germans buy Merkel's miracle
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,6903,1562314,00.html
New left strikes chord in disillusioned east (just some spin doctoring)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/germany/article/0,2763,1561831,00.html