The rightward shift of European politics extended to its largest economy today as German chancellor Angela Merkel was re-elected by a margin that will likely allow her to form an all-conservative government.
After governing in an awkward “grand coalition” with the left-wing Social Democrats since 2005, Ms. Merkel’s moderately conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) appears to have won enough votes to form a majority with the assistance of the libertarian Free Democratic Party (FDP).
Exit polls released as polls closed at 6 p.m., considered broadly accurate, showed the CDU receiving 33.5 per cent of the vote, a slight decrease from 2005. The FDP saw its vote increase dramatically to 15 per cent, from 9.8 per cent last time.
Together, these votes are likely to give the two conservative parties enough seats to form a majority government (Germany’s voting system combines votes for representatives with proportional-representation votes for parties).
A beaming Ms. Merkel told supporters after Sunday’s vote that “we have achieved something great. We have managed to achieve our election aim of a stable majority in Germany for a new government.”
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While Merkel actually dipped a bit in support the key is that her new coalition will switch from the socialists ( who dropped an astounding 1/3rd in support) to the pro business Free Democrats … who propose tax cuts versus more entitlements and redistribution.
Let’s hope the rest of Europe pays attention. Who knows maybe with Big Daddy USA no longer a reliable defense shield for them, they might just realize their teenage freeloading days are over and grow up.
Germany uses a form of personalized proportional representation. It’s funny to hear Merkel speaking of having a majority rather than a coalition…