Posted on 09/18/2005 11:45:50 AM PDT by anymouse
Exit polls showed conservative challenger Angela Merkel's party leading in German parliamentary elections Sunday but falling short of the majority she needed to form a center-right coalition as the nation's first female chancellor.
Gerhard Schroeder refused to concede defeat and said he could still theoretically remain in power if talks with other parties were successful.
"I feel myself confirmed in ensuring on behalf of our country that there is in the next four years a stable government under my leadership," he said to cheering supporters at his Social Democrat party headquarters.
But Merkel claimed her party received a mandate from voters to form a new coalition government to carry out her plan to mend frayed ties with the United States.
"What is important now is to form a stable government for the people in Germany, and we ... quite clearly have the mandate to do that," she said.
Both Schroeder and Merkel said they would talk to all parties except the new Left Party, a combination of ex-communists and renegade Social Democrats.
Sunday's vote centered on different visions of Germany's role in the world and how to fix its sputtering economy. Schroeder touted the country's role as a European leader and counterbalance to America, while Merkel pledged to reform the moribund economy and repair ties with Washington.
An exit poll by ZDF public television showed Merkel's Christian Democrats at 35.7 percent and the Social Democrats 33.6 percent. Merkel's preferred coalition partner — the pro-business Free Democrats — had 10.4 percent, while current Schroeder coalition partner Greens received 8.2 percent.
ARD public television showed near-identical results, with Merkel's party at 35.7 percent and the Social Democrats at 33.7 percent.
The Christian Democrats' projected totals were considerably worse than expected. Merkel's party consistently polled above 40 percent during the campaign.
The results open a period of uncertainty as the parties negotiate to form a government. Voters were choosing lawmakers for the 598-seat lower house of parliament, which elects the chancellor to head the government.
Had Merkel reached a majority with the Free Democrats, they would have formed a center-right government to push through her proposals to get the economy going and cut unemployment by making it easier for small firms to fire people, cutting payroll taxes and giving companies more flexibility to opt out of one-size-fits-all regional wage agreements.
If she does become chancellor, she likely will have to water down her program as she partners with a party to her left in order to hold 50 percent of the seats in parliament. Merkel's party already controls the upper house of parliament.
The most likely combination, analysts have said, is a "grand coalition" between Merkel's party and Schroeder's party. Most predictions were that Schroeder would not participate in such a government, but his defiant statements Sunday cast doubt on that.
Free Democrats leader Guido Westerwelle said his party would not work with the current government pair, the Social Democrats and Greens.
If the new parliament cannot elect a chancellor in three tries, President Horst Koehler could appoint a minority government led by the candidate with a simple majority.
Merkel's plan to patch up relations with Washington, which frayed after Schroeder's refusal to back the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, resonated with voters, as did her position that Turkey should not be allowed full membership in the 25-nation European Union.
"A country like Turkey just doesn't belong in the European community," said voter Torsten Quade, 41. "We're already going to let in countries like Romania and Bulgaria, and this is already too much because of how far behind they are."
But other voters said they supported Schroeder's party because he kept Germany out of the Iraq war and pushed for diplomacy to resolve concerns about Iran's nuclear program. Germany is one of three nations representing the EU in talks with Tehran.
"When you have a son coming of military age, this makes it even more important to vote for a government that isn't eager to go to war," said Stefan Deutscher, a 38-year-old business consultant voting in Berlin.
Schroeder called for the election a year ahead of time in frustration at resistance to his attempts to fix Europe's biggest economy, as unemployment hit record highs in his seven years in power and growth was sluggish. His limited measures cutting taxes and long-term jobless benefits have been slow to show convincing results.
Now, where have I said anything like what you accuse me of? All I was doing was criticizing the tendency on FR to roll out the same old Nazi comparisons and allusions on every single thread about Germany and the Germans. It gets annoying. And to say the NSDAP were socialists is to misunderstand the essence of that party. Find out what happened to the genuine SPD in the Hitler period.
Never having been outside Europe, as I freely admit, I'm not qualified to pronounce on the USA. And I don't (well, a couple of times on less serious matters where my posts were more in the way of a question and/or humorous in intent - exceptions proving the rule). It's your country, do whatever you see fit; European countries will do the same.
I know full well about the American presence in Germany, and you'll be aware how very Americanised the country is. I knew quite a few US soldiers back in the 70s myself and always enjoyed their company.
To tell the truth, I've little interest in Iraq or Katrina or American politics/culture, and BTW like most other people here I thought the US caskets election poster was in bad taste.
You had a nice rant, but you're aiming at the wrong person!
Er, yes...
You have a nice day too!
Well, strictly speaking, "bugger off" is offensive, but also an imperative, and not descriptive. I never said Americans were dumb, by the way, I was trying to illustrate how Schröder had worked his way up from nothing. I apologise for the use of the words "white trash", I didn't know it was non-PC to use them.
Gerhart Gore.
Kudos to Tennessee. And they call us dumb hillbillies.
>Schröder is a socialist and an America hater, so he is fair game for both comparision and parody. Growing up poor and having a parent that suffered should have made him appreciate the cost of freedom, but as a dyed in the wool socialist he obviously does not. You disrespect the USA and/or our President and you are crap to me. Sorry if you don't like it.<
Paragraph contains at least five factual errors, I'll let you work out yourself what they are.
The only true statement is that I am crap to you. Well, you're crap to me, so that makes us quits.
Incidentally, your photo "enhancement" is rather poor quality. Keep practising.
Correct British spelling. Look it up.
Why do't we send them Jimmy Carter?
Or is there some sort of Geneva Convention thing preventing that?
Although I also think that you aimed your rant at the wrong person, I have to admit that you are absolutely right about the majority of Germans - actually in some points you even give them too much credit.
On the other hand, there are some decent people living in this country too.
National SOZIALISTISCHE Deutsche Arbeiter Partei.
They were socialists, and this was more than just in name. It's strange how the defenders of socialism always have to resort to the "Oh, Russia wasn’t reallllllly socialist." or "China isn't really an example of socialism." or "The NAZI's were no real socialists."
The Geemans learned that nationalism and patriotism is a danger out of their WWII experience. The real threat, socialism is not percieved as such today. In fact they see a lot of merit in this system and its values.
So, then- Give me an example of "real" socialism? An example you like and meets the seal of approval by you.
Red6
What's in a name? The "socialist" element of the NSDAP (Gregor Strasser & Co.) were eliminated in 1934, "Night of the Long Knives". Hitler was in cahoots with the big industrial companies and nationalist/conservative types, not with the real SPD and the Communists, who spent the years till '45 in hiding/exile/concentration camps.
Any "socialist" element in Nazism was restricted to public works to ease unemployment and benefits (stolen from Jews and foreigners) to Aryan Germans only. That is definitely NOT socialism.
I don't approve of Socialism, real or otherwise, so why should I have to give you an example of it?
Like I said, it's this dumb Germans = Nazis so prevalent on FR that bugs me.
More later,
I understand there are many Berufstudenten and Arbeitslose who have a lot of time in Germany to pontificate about how great “socialism” is. But-----
Here in the US we have JOBS and WORK, so I'm busy right now, I'll respond later.
Red6
Now, that's very daring of you to presume that I am jobless or a student just because I take time out to make and reply to posts on FR. I've been self-employed over 20 years and, never unemployed. Incidentally, with a nearly 12 % jobless figure this means that over 88% of people in Germany are also quite busy, and statistically have a higher productivity per capita than US employees, so don't be so patronising.
I've found nobody here pontificating about socialism. It's just that equating Nazis with Social Democrats and even with Socialists is deeply insulting - and stupid too. And I don't care where you've been in Europe, it doesn't confer automatic wisdom in things European.
I'm glad to hear you never met anyone in Texas asking stupid questions about Nazis, Germany etc.
They must have all been at home posting on FR.
What's so untouchable about the New Left Party that neither of the big two are willing to talk to it, i.e. to build a coalition government with the New Left Party?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.