Free Republic

BERLIN, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Germany's Social Democrats narrowly won Sunday's national election, projected results showed, and claimed a "clear mandate" to lead a government for the first time since 2005 and to end 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel. The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) were on track for 26.0% of the vote, ahead of 24.5% for Merkel's CDU/CSU conservative bloc, projections for broadcaster ZDF showed....

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...

The German educational system marches on. In a memorable television appearance alongside other top candidates Sunday evening following the election, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder announced his next major reform project: the Math Reform! And he immediately explained how it would work: 34% of the votes = an absolute majority for Chancellor Schröder! "Nobody but myself is capable of putting together a stable government. Nobody but myself!" ['Nobody But Myself!'] Fellow guests and viewers at home were shocked and awed by the statesman's mind-expanding theories. "I really don't know what you've been doing before the show …" suggested Free Democratic leader Guido...

Voting began in Germany's closely fought election today with millions of undecided voters holding the key to a result that will have major implications for economic reform in Europe. Angela Merkel, a Christian Democrat (CDU) chancellor, is expected to emerge as Germany's first woman chancellor, displacing Gerhard Schroeder who has led Germany for the past seven years at the head of a centre-left government of Social Democrats and Greens. A provisional result is expected to be announced in the early hours of Monday morning. The final opinion polls published on Friday gave Merkel's centre-right coalition with the liberal Free Democrats...

WALL STREET JOURNAL Say it Slowly: 'Zukunftsangst' By Gabor Steingart Germany is haunted. My countrymen see ghosts everywhere as they go to the polls this Sunday. Berlin - When neo-Nazis are elected to a regional parliament, many fear a resurgence of Hitler. When a left-wing splinter party gains strength, scores believe they see the ghost of communism. Because Angela Merkel, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union, has proposed a larger dose of reform policy than Gerhard Schröder, the current chancellor, millions see her as the reincarnation of Maggie Thatcher. No wonder pollsters have found a level of fear in...

It was a perfect training program. Angela Merkel's seven years in the opposition -- time spent fighting off challengers within her own party to finally emerge as the Christian Democrat (CDU) candidate for chancellor in Sunday's general elections -- gave her plenty of time to put together her campaign recipe. A pinch -- but only a pinch -- of reform talk. A handful of job market fixes. A dash of tax-code modification. Bake until Sept. 18. Serves 82 million. But apparently, the directions weren't clear enough. Instead of a campaign about the economic future of Germany, Merkel is now furiously...

The country is in trouble. Unemployment is high, the economy seems to be locked in a long, slow decline, and there is widespread unrest, especially in the depressed areas. Things have to change, a fact that most citizens acknowledge, but who's going to make those changes happen? Reckoning on the popularity of the man in charge and the mixed public attitude towards the female leader of the opposition, the governing party has decided that its only real chance is to call elections earlier than expected. With elections fast approaching, however, it looks like it may have made a big mistake....

Germany's opposition Christian Democrats on Friday accused chancellor Gerhard Schröder of using lies and dirty tricks to discredit Angela Merkel, as a fresh opinion poll indicated that the chances of a decisive election victory for the CDU leader appeared to be slipping away. Volker Kauder, CDU general secretary, attacked the chancellor for allowing his Social Democrats to spread “bare-faced and brazen lies” about the CDU's tax proposals. The unusually harsh criticism of the chancellor suggested the CDU is scrambling to regain the political upper hand, following the publication of the third poll in three days predicting the CDU will fail...

The longer the German campaign goes on, the more painful it becomes to watch as it descends into inanity. If you're waiting for a serious discussion of issues, forget it. Plus, Europe battles against raging flood waters as more damage is caused and the death toll rises. It ain't happening. Instead, the German electorate, which is admittedly not terribly interested in the campaign pitting Social Democrat (SPD) Chancellor Gerhard Schröder against Christian Democrat (CDU) Angela Merkel, has been treated to a steady diet of inane predictions as to the shape of the future ruling coalition. The occasional insult fired off...

Germany's liberal Free Democrats are ready to weaken the power of the influential trade unions in order to push through economic reforms were the party to enter government in next month's election, FDP leader Guido Westerwelle said on Tuesday. “I won't be looking for conflict, but I won't avoid it if it's necessary in order to create a new beginning for Germany,” he said in an interview in Berlin. In comments likely to fuel debate over which economic reform path Germany should take after the election, he accused the trade unions of being responsible for “blocking the reduction in mass...

THE German election campaign was becoming predictable. Chancellor Gerhard Schršder's leftist administration was wheezing and puffing to a halt after a dismal few years of rising unemployment with few ideas about how to solve the country's economic malaise. The conservative candidate, Angela Merkel, seemed certain to romp to easy victory, although her insufficiently radical policies to turn around the economy have convinced few. What the campaign needed was controversy and last week it got it. Former finance minister Oskar Lafontaine chose this moment for his political resurrection. The vociferous man from the Saar - whose strident political rhetoric and old-style...

Germany needs painful economic reforms. That, at least, is what politicians were saying last year. But this year, the emergence of the new Left Party has seen all major parties veer to the left and dramatically soften their rhetoric. Which is grim news for Germany. Here's a string of un-fun facts about Germany -- not for the sake of feeding Germany's near pathological pessimism, but to foster an honest conversation about the future. Since German reunification in the early 1990s, all growth in the country has been financed by billions in public debt. The national debt has doubled to €1.4...

Angela Merkel, who is likely to be Germany's next chancellor, yesterday compared the battles she faced to those fought by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. Mrs Merkel, 50, said she wanted to persuade Germans to believe in themselves again, arguing that, unlike Britons, they suffered from a chronic lack of self-confidence. "Can Germany belong again to the global winners?" she asked. "I need to believe it can and I vehemently oppose the idea that Germany is excluded from this chance. "I want Germans to be proud of their country once again. Then I will be happy." She strongly indicated that...