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.
Merkel would be channcelor if her party gets the most seats in parliament, after three tries a coalition would be formed.
Results are getting tighter 217- 213 merkel leading over schroader the majority coalition is out.
Merkel will either be chancelor or out.
Lache isn't going to form a coalition with Schroader that means it will be merkel as channcelor she will be germany's face to the world and the face on foreign trips but won't have any power domestically. She would at least be in charge of germany at the un though. She couldn't send troops anywhere but not vote for pro palestinian resolutions. At least when Germany's leader visits the white house it won't be schroder.
Results are very tight though, the next hour will determine who is channcellor.
Refuse to form a government and try again.
Merkel and her coalition did horrible.
Pathetic. Nothing will happen in Germany. Better they should have a two-party system.
That would be great news. The more Schroeder rules, the worse Germany will be. Then, let us pray for a conservative revolution.
Chadenfreude!
is that soreloserman? he looks like nine raisins soaked in gin!
Name a loon, a goon, and a buffoon.
While this will be a worse case scenario in the short term (pink-red-green coalition), in the long haul it will definitly bolster Stoibler's chances next time around for a clear majority (or whoever is leading the party then).
Hah! We're all on the same page with that thought. Gore redux!
Gore got over it and Kerry got over it.
Now get over it and let the media and your crones do the dirty work of convincing all that your reelection was stolen.
Save some face man!
Thought it was a picture to refresh THE GERMANS' memories. That even looks like a white & red flag with a swastika on it....
Al Gore shaved his moustache.
The MSM won't be able to tolerate a Bush foe being defeated so they'll spin this as not really a loss for Schroeder.
LOL!! Who'll he pin the blame on specifically?
What a boner. Merkel won.
This is where the German voters are really being stupid. The best way to avoid Germany fighting is too encourage the US to do it. Instead of antagonizing the US, they'd be smarter to stop opposing us and let the US take on the onus of dealing with the Chicoms, NK and the Islamofascists. In other words, true neutrality so they can sell to both sides.
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