Posted on 09/22/2005 7:18:32 PM PDT by SmithL
Conservative leader Angela Merkel and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder failed to resolve their battle over who should lead Germany's new government but agreed to meet again to explore forming a right-left coalition to steer efforts to revive Europe's largest economy.
Both Merkel and Schroeder have laid claim to building Germany's next government after neither party won a clear majority in parliamentary elections Sunday, leaving the country, the world's third-largest economy, in political crisis.
The deadlock means Germany could spend weeks without leadership at a time when it desperately needs clear direction to push through badly needed economic reforms. Germany also wants to maintain its strong leadership role within the European Union, particularly in the wake of the EU's failed constitution project and on the eve of membership talks with Turkey.
Merkel said Thursday's talks took place "in a constructive atmosphere" but indicated her conservative Christian Democratic Union and its sister party, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union, would not give ground on the issue of who should be chancellor.
"I laid out that I have the responsibility of building a government," Merkel told reporters after the meeting. "And we made it clear that if we come to coalition talks, this question must be cleared up."
Yet the Social Democrats are holding out with their argument that German voters rejected Merkel as chancellor, awarding her party only 27.8 percent support after months of polling as much as 40 percent.
Coupled with the Christian Social Union, the conservatives reached 35.2 percent, just edging Schroeder's party, which won 34.3 percent.
Another round of elections to follow....
Coalition governments in Germany sometimes have trouble choosing a chancellor. One piece of advice: don't choose a short guy from Austria.
Last I heard, Gore and Kerry were on their way over to lend their assistance.
Thanks for the interesting analysis.
Dueling used to be lawful in the German States. Seems to me that method should be revived ~ let these two settle the question personally ~ to the death!
Are your referring to "Gerhard GORE"?
I dont have the article with me. It was in the local daily newspaper. It showed who voted left via percentages and color coded. Like the Bush Country map.
It was amazing, Eastern germany voted overwhelminly left and the rest of germany (West) voted overwhelmingly right. Kind of looked like 2 different countries.
I guess if most of my money was taken to give to someone else who got it for doing nothing I would vote to get some reforms going.
"Kind of looked like 2 different countries."
Years after reunification, in many respects, Germany is still two countries. At parties the groups still migrate to the East and West groups.
It looks like the country will drift for a while as there does not seem to be the consensus by the majority of the people to undertake the reforms that the US and UK did years ago (and Japan is taking today).
Almost right. South Germany tends to be conservative, north Germany (not the east) tends to the SPD (obviously there are pockets of the opposing party all over the place). The old GDR was very volatile, in 1990 heavily CDU, then extreme left when they became disillusioned. The Left party is basically Lafontaine at the head of the old PDS, which grew out of the East German ruling party SED. East Germany decides elections these days, and they seem to have cottoned on to this fact.
The CDU has only itself to blame for this: they were the architects of reunification, with all its positive (and mainly negative) effects.
The problem at the moment seems untractable, but it's early days yet.
A red/green minority govt. under Schröder might get elected in parliament in a secret ballot, even although the Left party leaders have said they will NOT support Schröder even then, let alone join a coalition (not that anybody would have them). But secret means secret, so nobody will ever know if some of them (or even FDP and CDU MPs!) vote for Schröder.
But a minority govt. would not be able to get much past the CDU-dominated Bundesrat.
On the other hand, nor would a minority CDU/FDP govt. get anything really radical past the Bundestag without the support of one or more of the SPD or Greens or Left party. So all bills would have to be based on general consensus, preferably with the SPD for a really solid backing.
So both governments would be very vulnerable.
Schröder should be careful not to overplay his hand, or he'll forfeit sympathy. Even left-wing voters are starting to feel rather sorry for hapless Angela Merkel...
Schroeder: (Trying to be) Selected, not Elected
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.