GERMAN ELECTION (Running Thread): Schroeder by a Nosehair

Die Welt- translated ^ | 9/22/02 | Die Welt

[RobFromGa]

Election turnout probably smaller than 1998

Large opinion

Berlin/Rostock (dpa) - with the election to the Bundestag a smaller participation than before drew four years starting from 1998 lay it Germany far with 82,2 per cent in the late Sunday afternoon. However the returning officers reported high letter voter at the same time of a ratio. Everywhere the letter voters were not already taken in account. Thus a factor of uncertainty remained existing.

As one inquires around approximately three hours before locking of the polling stations resulted in, to against 15.00 o'clock in most Lands of the Federal Republic a clearly lower election turnout was registered. In Saxonia-Anhalt the participation lay at this time approximately 15 points under the values of the yearly 1998, in other Lands of the Federal Republic up to eight points. Also in the capital went to Berlin with herbstlich to cool weather clearly less voter to the urns.

On the other hand there was the tendency in few other Lands of the Federal Republic also to an easily higher election turnout - in such a way in Schleswig-Holstein and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where at the same time a new federal state parliament was selected.

In Saxonia the returning officers spoke first of a surprisingly large resonance, then the interest decreased/went back however clearly. Also in Bavaria the choice encountered in the first hours in some cities a substantially larger interest than 1998. There the participation up to 12 per cent points in the comparison rose to the same time before four years. Against noon this tendency decreased/went back likewise, of a clear minus was later spoken. It was similar in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg.

From other Lands of the Federal Republic a rather weak resonance was determined. In Hessen, Thuringia, Saarland and Bremen the values decreased/went back. Also in Rhineland-Palatinate, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony the crush was smaller than 1998. In Baden-Wuerttemberg it meant: Election turnout constantly.

The polling stations for the election to the Bundestag had opened o'clock punctually at 08.00. 61,2 million Federal citizen were called to select a new parliament. With the election of the federal parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were entitled to vote about 1.4 million citizen.

After last inquiries and prognoses to the exit the SPD with Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was appropriate for the election to the Bundestag scarcely before the union with her candidate for the chancellorship Edmund Stoiber (CSU). Since also the smaller parties FDP and the Green were strongly estimated approximately in each case equal, the continuation of the red-green coalition was considered as uncertain. For a government majority in the parliament it could be crucial whether the Party of Democratic Socialism draws again into the Bundestag or not.

The Social Democrats set to come into the proximity of their result from 1998 to. At that time they reached 40.9 per cent of the secondary voices. CDU/CSU had slipped before four years to 35,1 per cent, their secondaryworst result with elections to the Bundestag. The Greens reached 6.7 per cent, the FDP came on 6,2 per cent. The Party of Democratic Socialism overcame the five-per cent hurdle with 5,1 per cent scarcely.

After last inquiries in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania a confirmation of the red-red coalition of SPD and Party of Democratic Socialism under head of the government Harald Ringstorff (SPD) applied as extremely probable. 1998 had the SPD 34.3, which reaches Party of Democratic Socialism 24.4 and the CDU 30.2 per cent.

[Honorary Serb]

Here's the latest report from AP (via Yahoo), in gutes Englisch:


German Elections Too Close to Call
Sun Sep 22, 1:15 PM ET

By TONY CZUCZKA, Associated Press Writer

BERLIN (AP) - Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his conservative challenger Edmund Stoiber ran neck-and-neck Sunday in one of the nation's closest postwar elections. The vote was roiled by tension with the United States over Iraq that peaked after Schroeder's justice minister indirectly compared President Bush ( news - web sites) and Adolf Hitler.


AP Photo
Volatile German Election Campaign Nears End
(AP Video)
Our Tech Section is growing!

Check headlines for:

Internet, Enterprise, Software and more...

Technology News



Early returns by three polling agencies differed on which of the two main parties, Schroeder's Social Democrats and two Christian Democratic parties led by Stoiber, was leading. However, the Greens' strong showing in all polls would give an advantage to another term for Schroeder's coalition with the small environmentally oriented party.

Early returns by the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen for ZDF public television and Forsa for private television showed the Social Democrats and Christian Democrats about even at 38 percent.

However, infratest-dimap showed Stoiber's team with 39 percent to Schroeder's 37 percent. The results fell within the margin of error.

The Greens party, in coalition with the Social Democrats for the last four years, was polling at about 9 percent — which could be decisive in helping Schroeder stay in power.

According to ZDF, the Social Democrats and Greens would win 300 seats to 296 for the Christian Democrats with their likely coalition partner, the liberal Free Democrats. Another TV station, ARD, put the seat distribution at 300 for Schroeder's coalition and 298 for Stoiber's.

Early returns showed the small business-friendly FDP polling around 7 percent.

They also indicated the ex-communist Party of Democratic Socialism failed to achieve the 5 percent of the vote necessary to enter parliament, however they still could make it into parliament if candidates win three seats directly.

Cheers burst from the crowd at CDU headquarters as exit polls were announced, followed by groans that the party's preferred coalition partner, the FDP, was behind the Greens.

"We have achieved our most important aim of becoming the strongest party in parliament," said Christian Democrat leader Roland Koch.

Rezzo Schlauch, the Greens leader in parliament, said the party got momentum from the Iraq debate and the popularity of Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. "We are so happy ... There was the issue of war and peace, and we have a highly competent foreign minister. It was a combination of the issues and the people in charge."

The final days of the hotly contested race were overshadowed by tensions with the United States over Iraq, in particular by Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin's reported statement comparing Bush to Hitler for threatening war to distract from domestic problems.

While Schroeder has resisted calls to force her resignation, a government official said Schroeder would not include the minister in his Cabinet if he wins re-election. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a campaign already remarkable for straining relations with the United States because of Schroeder's emphatic opposition to American military action to oust Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites), Washington responded with anger to the remarks attributed to the justice minister.

The minister has denied drawing a direct comparison between Bush and Hitler. In a confused explanation, she initially said she had compared their methods, and later told reporters she had referred to diversionary tactics during a chaotic discussion, saying, "We know that from our history, since Adolf Nazi."

Despite sharp reaction from the White House and attacks by conservative challenger Stoiber for undermining U.S.-German relations, Schroeder's anti-war stance resonated with Germans who overwhelmingly oppose a new Mideast conflict.

Schroeder's unusually harsh rhetoric — along with his handling of Germany's catastrophic floods and strong performance in a televised debate — helped him close the gap with the Bavarian governor, who led the polls for months with attacks on Schroeder's economic record.

Voter turnout was running slightly behind 1998, with official figures showing 42.8 percent of the more than 61 million voters casting ballots by 2 p.m., compared to 47 percent at the same hour four years ago.

Though the ruckus over the justice minister ruined the final hours of his campaign, Schroeder appeared confident and smiling as he voted in his home city of Hanover. He declined to answer questions about the minister's fate, but admitted: "One is always a little nervous."

His conservative challenger has used the affair as ammunition, accusing the chancellor of whipping up emotions against the United States, Germany's staunchest ally, for electoral gain. Stoiber has pledged to repair the damage with Washington if elected.

Shortly after casting his vote with his wife, Karin, in their hometown of Wolfratshausen, about 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of Munich, Stoiber refrained from new attacks before heading off to join the annual Oktoberfest celebrations.

"I am confident that we will win the election," Stoiber said, smartly dressed in a gray suit and red-striped tie, though not the traditional Bavarian lederhosen and short wool jacket he usually wears to vote. "We had a good campaign."

On Iraq, Schroeder has insisted he would not commit troops for a war even if the United Nations ( news - web sites) backs military action. Like the chancellor, Stoiber opposes unilateral U.S. action, but he insists Germany must be ready to support any U.N.-backed action against Saddam — though not with frontline troops.

Stoiber also wants faster tax cuts than Schroeder especially for small and midsize businesses. He pledges to overturn a Schroeder law that widened the powers of labor unions in workplace decisions and to curb rising energy taxes. And he intends to scrap an immigration law passed under Schroeder that he says is too liberal.

With two big and three smaller parties competing Sunday, the Free Democrats could resume the kingmaker's role they played in most postwar governments.

The major party best able to form a stable coalition — not necessarily the one with the most votes — will lead the next government and downsized 598-seat parliament.

Schroeder, 58, has governed with the Greens since unseating Helmut Kohl in 1998 and ending 16 years of conservative rule. He says he wants another four years with the party.

Stoiber, 60, has embraced the Free Democrats as he ran for national office after governing Bavaria for nine years. But the pro-business party FDP refused to rule out a coalition with either party in hopes of replacing the Greens as third-strongest force.

Also defending parliamentary seats are the former East German communists, who hope to make more inroads among leftist voters in richer west Germany who are disillusioned with the Social Democrats' shift toward the political center under Schroeder.

Germans cast two votes Sunday, one directly for a local candidate and one for a party. The party vote is critical because it determines the percentage of seats each party wins in the Bundestag, or parliament.

To enter parliament, parties must either win 5 percent of the vote or at least three seats directly.

In the current 669-seat legislature, Schroeder's Social Democrats hold 298 seats, the Christian Democrats/CSU 245, the Greens 47, the Free Democrats 43 and the ex-communists 36.

[marajade]

Who do you like better? Schroeder or the other guy Schoiber (sp?)?

[UofORepublican]

Yea they do vote with Schroeder unfortunately. Its so important for them to lose. The PDS does not want to see Stoiber win and have said they will back SPD if necessary.

[RobFromGa]

"Get out of Stoiber's haus"

[eabinga]

I have always like Bavarians...

[eabinga]

I hope it won't be a Red-Red coalition...

[Dog]

What is percentage counted so far??

[marajade]

Well according to the earlier post they have to get three seats to be seated and they only have two... So what does this mean?

This is just way too confusing to me and it is goofy...

[tellw]

If the communists only win 2 seats and they are at only 4 percent of the vote, what happens when it's 299-299? This is soooo Florida.

[SkyRat]

PDS is out. Below 5% and only 2 direct votes, although they need 3. Bundestag seats decrease to 598.

[Honorary Serb]

GOOD!!!! At the very least, the Third Way clintonoid Serb-hating muslim collaborator Schroeder will get a good dressing down, and less clout in the Bundestag! AND HE MIGHT EVEN LOSE!!!!

Stoiber wants to crack down on muslims in Germany--I hope he wins and gets to do it!!!! And I doubt if he woud have any Cabinet member who compares Shatron to Hitler. The REAL Hitlerites are the heirs of the Grand Mufti Amin al-Husseini--the "Palestinians" and the Bosnian and Albanian muslim supremacists, and at least to some extent, Sadam Hussein!!!!

[JamesWilson]

I just can't stand the thought of a Bavarian leader for Germany.

Why?

[UofORepublican]

I know I didnt understand it until this year when I spent four months there. To get in parliament a party needs to get either 3 directly elected seats or 5 percent of the national vote (prevents parties like the NAZIs from getting in power). Their ballot is one for direct representation, one for proportional by voting for a party, 1/2 parliament is elected by each.

[eabinga]

The two commies get their seats in any case if they won in their district. You can't deny a directly elected representative his seat.

[TheAngryClam]

look at these tallies

SPD 40.7
CDU 31.4
PDS 16.5
Green 2.3
FDP 4.8

What in God's name just happened? I didn't realize that they had the same problem with dead voters over there too...

[July 4th]

Conservatives losing their lead...SPD with the Greens, 300 seats. CDU/CSU with Free Dems ay 298. Neither have the numbers for a coalition.

[tomahawk]

Great post, and I fully agree.

[marajade]

What difference does it make? If its at 598 and each is tied with 299 and 299 that means another election...

[RobFromGa]

299-299 huh.

Paging Herr Jeffords, please report to the Socialist Party headquarters for your prize package.

[Dog]

So what does that mean ....we toss the PDS percentage out???