Sunday, September 18, 2005
Crazy Happenings in Germany
1. A tornado was sighted in Bavaria. A tornado! In Bavaria at that. There aren't any natural disasters in Bavaria, especially not tornados. In fact, my mom almost freaked out when I told her that I lived in a city where there had been a tornado before. Alas, it developed over a lake, and stayed there, without causing any damage to property or human life. Good tornado!
2. The elections happened. Result: Confusion. The current Goverrnment is a coalition between the supposedly left of centre SPD(a preliminary 34.3% )who has a beautifully neoliberal approach to economics and dabbles in some left-wingism when it comes to things that won't cost them any money such as gay marriage, and the Green Party(a preliminary 8.1%). They both lost seats in comparison to the last election, and anyone who can add already knows that they have lost their majority.
Then, there is the FDP, who for all intents and purposes are liberals(small l liberal, as in the philosophical origin of the word). They gained 2.4 precentage points up to a preliminary 9,8%.
Then, we have our newly formed left party, who seems to not to be able to decide on its name quite yet, but has won a preliminary 8.7%.
And, of course, the CDU/CSU, also known as the Christian Democrats, or Christian Social Democrats in Bavaria. They lost 3.3% to a preliminary 35.2%. Although nominally the winners of the election, this is a devastating result for the CDU/CSU, as they have very little hope for a coalition. They meant to govern in conjunction with the FDP, but alas, they fall short nore than a full 5%.
Nobody really knows what will happen. The FDP has voted in a pre-election meeting not to be in a coalition with the greens. The Greens have openly stated that they won't be in a coalition with the CDU/CSU, and the chancellor Schroeder apparently stated in an interview that there is no chance in hell for a grand coalition(SPD/CDU/CSU).
What does my bleeding socialist heart hope for? SPD, Greens and the new left party...no, it's just too much to ask.
2. The elections happened. Result: Confusion. The current Goverrnment is a coalition between the supposedly left of centre SPD(a preliminary 34.3% )who has a beautifully neoliberal approach to economics and dabbles in some left-wingism when it comes to things that won't cost them any money such as gay marriage, and the Green Party(a preliminary 8.1%). They both lost seats in comparison to the last election, and anyone who can add already knows that they have lost their majority.
Then, there is the FDP, who for all intents and purposes are liberals(small l liberal, as in the philosophical origin of the word). They gained 2.4 precentage points up to a preliminary 9,8%.
Then, we have our newly formed left party, who seems to not to be able to decide on its name quite yet, but has won a preliminary 8.7%.
And, of course, the CDU/CSU, also known as the Christian Democrats, or Christian Social Democrats in Bavaria. They lost 3.3% to a preliminary 35.2%. Although nominally the winners of the election, this is a devastating result for the CDU/CSU, as they have very little hope for a coalition. They meant to govern in conjunction with the FDP, but alas, they fall short nore than a full 5%.
Nobody really knows what will happen. The FDP has voted in a pre-election meeting not to be in a coalition with the greens. The Greens have openly stated that they won't be in a coalition with the CDU/CSU, and the chancellor Schroeder apparently stated in an interview that there is no chance in hell for a grand coalition(SPD/CDU/CSU).
What does my bleeding socialist heart hope for? SPD, Greens and the new left party...no, it's just too much to ask.
posted by Catrin
4 Comments:
[3:58 AM, September 19, 2005]
[6:10 AM, September 19, 2005]
[9:00 AM, September 19, 2005]
[10:07 AM, September 19, 2005]
Ralph and Konrad: Keep at it! I like it when people get all hot and bothered about German politics on my blog.
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