German exit polls show Merkel on track for second term

[Ghost Dog]

Source: AP/Guardian

Exit polls have revealed Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats have emerged from the German elections as the strongest party and remain on track to form a new centre-right government.

...

An exit poll carried out for the ARD television channel puts support for Merkel's Christian Democrats at 33.5% and that for the Social Democrats at 22.5%.

The poll shows the Free Democrats at 15%, the Left party at 12.5% and the Greens at 10.5%.

ARD says the conservatives and Free Democrats should have a majority in parliament.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/27/angela-merkel-german-elections

[Joanne98]

1. OBL helped her win at the last minute!

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. Merkel Defeats Social Democratic Challenger, Exit Polls Show

Source: Bloomberg

By Tony Czuczka and Brian Parkin

Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel defeated her Social Democratic challenger, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, to remain at the head of the biggest bloc in parliament, exit polls show.

Merkel’s Christian Democrats and their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, won 33.5 percent in federal elections today, according to an exit poll on ARD television. Steinmeier’s Social Democratic Party, Merkel’s current coalition partner and main election rival, had 22.5 percent, and the Free Democrats, her preferred ally, 15 percent. The Greens had 10.5 percent and the Left Party 12.5 percent.

With the CDU-CSU and Free Democrats on a combined tally of 48.5 percent, Merkel probably has enough support to ditch the Social Democrats and form a new coalition, ARD said. That would allow her to push an agenda of tax cuts, deregulation and extending the life of nuclear-power plants.

“We’ll see more of her reformer’s face” in a CDU-FDP coalition, Carsten Brzeski, a Brussels-based economist at ING Groep NV, said in a phone interview. “We will definitely see some easing of the tax burden” and “probably an improvement in the investment climate in Germany.”

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aaLcXt.ke8gc

[Ghost Dog]

3. "Bitter day for German social democracy"

German voters re-elected Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday and enabled her to form a coalition with her preferred partner, the pro-business Free Democrat Party, according to TV projections based on exit polls. The Social Democrats slumped to their worst result since World War II and will go into opposition.

...

The outcome is a disaster for the SPD, which slumped to its worst result since World War II. Merkel's SPD challenger, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will lose his post as foreign minister and could be succeeded by FDP leader Guido Westerwelle.

...

"The voters have decided and the result is a bitter day for German social democracy, this is a bitter defeat," Steinmeier told SPD supporters gathered in the party's headquarters in Berlin.

"I promise you we will be an opposition that will very closely monitor this new government, they must prove that they're capable and I have doubts about that."

"I look back on 11 years in government in which the SPD has made a major contributution to ensuring a good future for this country and bringing it forward." said Steinmeier, looking startled at the persistent defiant applause from SPD workers, many of whom had tears in their eyes."

/... http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,651610,00.html

[Hav]

4. A very bad result for the SPD.

One has to keep the relatively new Left Party in mind though as the SPD lost many potential voters to them.
Normally I'd say that the SPD will get stronger again as an opposition party but it will be definately harder with the presence of the Left and also the demonization of the Left that makes future coalitions between the two hard. It's really a difficult situation for the SPD.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. In a world that considers Angela Merkel "conservative" ...

... it makes one wonder how far we Americans have regressed since WWII.

--d!

[iandhr]

6. Who are the Free Democrats?

[w4rma]

7. 'Free Market' Democrats? *shrug* (nt)

[liberalpragmatist]

8. libertarianish centrist party

It generally gets votes from upper-middle class professionals and business leaders. It's progressive on social issues, but generally favors lower taxes and fewer regulations on business.

[It was not a pretzel]

11. Libertarians

An awful flat-tax rich mans party. Wankers.

[Odin2005]

12. Libertarian bozos.

[Ghost Dog]

13. You will find more info/comment here:

http://www.eurotrib.com/story/2009/9/27/10543/1079

[defendandprotect]

9. k i c k

[ejbr]

10. pity vote

[New Dawn]

14. Merkel = US puppet. That being said, at least there was a good result for Die Linke.

[Ghost Dog]

15. Yes. See more reflections on the meaning of these elections here:

http://fistfulofeuros.net/afoe/governments-and-parties/random-thoughts-on-the-recent-german-election/#comments