EXIT POLLS: Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats fail to secure a ruling majority in Germany

BBC NEWS ^

[HHKrepublican]

Germany's centre-right Christian Democrats, led by Angela Merkel, have failed to win a governing majority in Sunday's election, exit polls suggest.

They indicate that the Christian Democrats will be the largest party in what is likely to be a hung parliament.

Ms Merkel - who wants to introduce far-reaching reforms to revive a flagging economy - said she had a "clear mandate" to govern.

But she could be forced into a grand coalition with the Social Democrats.

Germany's ARD television puts with Christian Democrats in the lead with 36% of the vote - much worse than expected.

Their preferred coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democrats, did well with 10%, according to unofficial exit polls - but apparently not enough to secure a joint majority.

[HHKrepublican]

Lets hope the same guys who did the US exit polls are doing these ones!

[Paleo Conservative]

EXIT POLLS: Kerry Creams Bush!

[HHKrepublican]

LOL!! Lets hope its a repeat!

[starfish923]

I think that what was being discussed on other "Merkel" threads will probably hold true.
That is, that nothing much will change in Germany, but the coalitions will probably try to make enough reforms to stay competitive in the world, NOT give the Germans too much of a BITTER $$$$$ pill to swallow, deal with the unemployment in the worst areas and reform their welfare and unemployment laws A BIT.

Nothing drastic but attempts to move forward -- or at lease not slide backwards.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

hope so too.

if not, I predict she's going to have a really terrible job trying to get any of her policies pushed with the social dems obstructing on every issue.

[Gay State Conservative]

Germany's ARD television puts with Christian Democrats in the lead with 36% of the vote - much worse than expected

I wonder if this ARD is Germany's eqivalent of CBS?

[goldstategop]

A status quo is a defeat for Germany. Voters have said NO to the major parties on radical reform. Maybe there will be an act of statesmanship between the CDU/CSU and the SPD but I doubt it.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[ConservativeGreek]

CD got the most votes, but lost!
That's all BBC wants you to take away from this article.

[alessandrofiaschi]

But now they're projections, not polls...

[TaxRelief]

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, to become Germany's first female chancellor.

But the results will be a huge disappointment for her and the CDU. Without enough support to govern with the FDP, she will most likely be forced to share power with Schroeder's SPD in Germany's first "grand coalition" since the 1960s.

It is a grouping markets fear would doom her plans to push through aggressive reforms of Germany's labor market and tax system, but one which up to a third of Germans say they favor.

"We had hoped for a better result," Merkel said, conceding her preferred alliance of CDU/CSU and FDP did not appear to have a majority. "It is our duty to form a stable government."

A provisional official result was not likely to be published until after midnight local time (2200 GMT), although German television stations were progressively updating projections of the outcome.

Yahoo! news

[MinuteGal]

Oh, my. Socialist Schroeder may lose.....and socialist Chirac had a stroke.....and socialist Blair is a good guy....and all the other socialist Euroweenie socialists are small potatoes.

In the immortal words of Richard Nixon, who will be left over there to push around any more?

Socialist Madonna of the Scottish Manor Born, I guess.

Leni

[frankjr]

German Exit Poller:

[ncountylee]

I don't think that Blair can still be called a socialist. His patriotism has moved him closer to the center.

[Heartofsong83]

Who cares about exit polls! Only the real results matter!

[Heartofsong83]

You forgot one socialist (more of an kleptocrat though)...Paul Martin (Canada), but he might lose!

[MinuteGal]

er.....I don't think so.

Patriotism and Economic Ideology = Apples and Oranges.

[hombre_sincero]

Wasn't the NAZY party also the SOCIAL DEMOCRAT PARTY? No wonder the DNC loves them so!

[hombre_sincero]

NAZY = NAZI (for the fr spelling nazis here)

[ukman]

>Wasn't the NAZY party also the SOCIAL DEMOCRAT PARTY? <

No, totally wrong. Try doing some serious reading.