[alessandrofiaschi]

From: Here

Merkel Win Could Kick Start EU Motor

A victory for German conservative opposition leader Angela Merkel in elections on Sunday could provide a kick-start to the stuttering Franco-German motor that has driven the European Union for decades, analysts say. "There's something mechanical today in the Franco-German relationship that needs to be given new legitimacy," said Jean-Dominique Giuliani, head of the Robert Schuman Foundation in Paris. Merkel herself has said the Franco-German motor would continue if she became chancellor, through she stated it would not be an "exclusive" relationship nor one directed against other EU members. Merkel signaled that she would maintain several foreign policy positions, including support for environmental protection and the International Criminal Court -- both issues that align with Chirac's views. She is vehemently opposed to Turkey's bid to join the European Union, which could please Chirac. Initially an enthusiastic supporter of Ankara's bid, he has become more ambivalent on the subject after the French electorate made clear its resistance to the idea. Merkel was also likely to continue the current government's soft-spoken approach on human rights in both Russia and China but stop short of echoing current German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's and Chirac's call to lift the EU arms embargo against Beijing. In the end, though, a long-awaited turnaround in the economic fortunes of the two countries may be the impetus to revive their partnership. "The basis of the problems in the Franco-German relationship are economic in nature," said Giuliani.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

"DOWN GOES SCHROEDER! DOWN GOES SCHROEDER!"

[red flanker]

"I hear the fat lady warming up for Opus 26...the Funeral March"

[Grampa Dave]

There is a way all of us can support the new German Leader.

We can buy the ETF stock index, EWG, for Germany. I will be buying a good sum tomorrow or some time next week.

In anticipation of the outing of the socialist, this ETF has had an excellent 3 months compared to 5 years of economic stagnation/blah before.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=EWG

Hopefully, the new leaders will model Germany's economic plan after the Austrian model. The Austrian, ETF stock index, EWO has been an outstanding investment the past few years.

Go to the link below to compare the Austrian ETF, EWO to the German etf, EWG, for the past 5 years of rampant socialism and anti Americanism.

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=EWG&t=5y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=ewo

[BMCDA]

Here is a regularly updated flash chart from "Der Spiegel":

Die Wahlergebnisse im Überblick

Well, if you ask me Germany is screwed...

[SunkenCiv]

Bundestag:

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[NYC Republican]

Based on what we now know, the title is premature/misleading, should we change it?

[hershey]

At 4:30 EST, the BBC on NPR was portraying it as a razor thin margin for Merkel. Indeed, Schroeder's party was saying it was a Victory for them! Nobody would be able to form a coalition to rule the country, so Schroeder thinks he can retain power. Clearly, the people didn't want to give up cozy govt. handouts, although they know economic reform is desperately needed.

[Greek]

Hey, I just looged in and I hear Steve Merkel from that sitcom is the head of Germany? He was a bit nerdy, but I hear he is pretty smart.

[Vis Numar]

Dewey wins!

Haha, good laugh on your behalf.

[boomop1]

Have they counted Philadelphia yet?

[airborne]

Angela Merkel, a Christian Democrat (CDU) chancellor,...

I like her already

[ExSoldier]

Bump for later

[SunkenCiv]

just a one-time reply to all names in this thread (although, I may have missed some because I edited out the duplicates by hand, and I need to stop kidding myself and just get prescription glasses already), NOT A PING LIST. Did not ping the Admin Moderator, because the AM probably came in here for administrative reasons.

Thanks to all for your understanding.

The Road to the Chancellory
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1653925,00.html

According to preliminary results, Merkel's Christian Union parties will hold 225 seats in parliament, followed closely by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democratic Party (SPD), which will get 222 seats. The free-market liberal Free Democrats came in at 61 seats, followed by the new Left Party, which is made up of disgruntled Social Democrats and ex-communists (54 seats) and the Greens (51 seats). A late election in Dresden on Oct. 2 could technically still shift the ratio and make the SPD the largest parliamentary faction.

The election has left Germany without a clear option for a government coalition, with three main alternatives currently on the table. The most obvious solution is a grand coalition between CDU and SPD. But a so-called "traffic light" coalition of SPD, FDP (party color: yellow) and Greens is also possible. A third version would be an alliance between CDU, FDP and Greens that has been dubbed "Jamaica coalition."

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[timestax]

bttt

[FrankR]

"...Some five million Germans are out of work, the country's pensions system is in crisis, its public finances are overstretched and the economy that once drove growth in Europe is now acting as a drag on the rest of the continent."

Ahhhh...Socialism...the dream of the American left...