Posted on 10/10/2005 2:27:09 AM PDT by Michael81Dus
I can't believe this coalition will last for more than a year or two...
SPD keeps the Foreign ministry? That sucks.
At least Schröder is out.
LOL, wait until you see who becomes Foreign Minister!! :-) It could be Schröder (though nobody really expects that). Fact is, the SPD doesn´t know yet who shall become FM. Plus, the Chancellor is the key figure, and she has more influence on the foreign policy. On important issues, compromises will be made. But one´s for sure, Germany under Merkel will not play the poodle for France or Russia.
My guess is two years. The most important thing the Grand Coalition should do is to solve the budget crisis and to reform the federal/state level competences.
Thank God for that.
Haven´t you been a fan of Schäuble? He has been offered the office of the parliaments president (in protocol, it´s the number 2 of my country), but he refused. So he probably will become the chairman of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group - a highly influential and political office and ranks just behind the Chancellor within the CDU/CSU. He has hold this office between 1992 and 2000.
And now that I´ve told you that Schröder could become FM, rumors say he will go out of German politics. He once said that he loves New York... take care, America!! ;-)
What is the story on Chirac? Is it out in public or still recovering from his stay in hospital?
What? I´m sorry, but I can´t help you. I don´t know what´s with Chirac. But I´m pinging a French FReeper. He can tell you.
Schröder won´t become Minister under Merkel, he´ll retire after Merkels appointment in November.
IMO, Germanys relations with the US and other European nations will improve, because Schröder as a politician has lost so much trust, so that it can only get better. [That does not apply to China and Russia.]
Best politician by far. But the germans don't want a wheelchair-bound guy in office. Look how hard it was for them to elect a women. The reason they kept going for Schröder was all the women thought he was handsome (10% more women than men supported that bozo). Can you beleive that!
Thanks, I thought maybe there was some gossip on europe that our media was ignoring.
You need to keep Schroeder out of foreign minister post. Good at least that Merkel is a new chancellor.
I know and I´m so glad that we kicked Schröder out. Once Merkel is in power, the people will get used to the combination: Merkel/Chancellery. A governing Chancellor is harder to beat in an election. I´m proud of my party that we have a disabled man and a East German woman in powerful positions.
You´re optimistic. :-)
Seems like pretty good news to me, Michael. I am glad this has been settled. I look forward to Chancellor Merkel coming to visit the United States.
Ok, so lets see...SPD gets foreign, finance, justice and labour ministries. Basically, nothing changes. The country will continue to have tax issues, unemployment, an anti-American tone, no business growth, limited response to Muslim terrorists, and continued episodes with Hartz 4. I don't see a single improvement...except Merkel will be head of this mess. I predict elections....sooner rather than later. I'm betting spring of 2007 at this point. The only plus out of this is that lack of improvement in finance...can be directly point at SPD at the next election....and labor issues can blamed on them as well.
Perhaps that is Merkel's gameplan...play out a 18-month period and get forced into new elections...where the FDP can make a even stronger situation the next time around. I don't see anything positive happening...except the fact that the CDU control state-run tv game, and just might force them to cut 3 or 4 stations out.
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