Angela Merkel faces a painful setback in the Baden-Württemberg elections

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Observer

Angela Merkel faces a painful setback in the Baden-Württemberg elections
The CDU's hold on the state may give way to a Green-SPD coalition after the chancellor's U-turn on nuclear power
Helen Pidd in Stuttgart
The Observer, Sunday 27 March 2011

Baden-Württemberg in south-west Germany is one of Europe's richest regions. For almost 58 years, it has been governed by Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

But from 6pm tonight, when the first results from the state's elections start to come in, this region of plenty might well be heading into the clutches of the opposition. If the pollsters are correct, the risk-averse burghers of Baden-Württemberg – with their locally assembled Mercedes in their garages and their jobs for life – may end up electing, by a narrow vote, Germany's first Green regional prime minister. Even more shocking is the slim chance that the ultra-socialist Linke (Left) party might win enough votes to be represented in the state parliament. The election might be a local one, but the consequences will reverberate in Berlin.

"If the CDU loses, it will be a massive blow for Merkel," said the Social Democrat candidate Nils Schmidt, 37, whose party may end up ruling Baden-Württemberg in a coalition with the Greens. "But remember she is Teflon Angie. Will it stop her staying on as chancellor until the next general election in 2013? She doesn't have any competition in her own party any more."

On Tuesday evening, the CDU's Stefan Mappus did his best to seem upbeat. The incumbent state prime minister, a squat 45-year-old, took to the podium at the Sillenbuch retirement community in Stuttgart and told the crowd what they wanted to hear. "We in Baden-Württemberg are the best and we want to keep it that way," he said. "We have the lowest unemployment – just 4.3% – and our economy is growing by 5.5%."



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/27/angela-merkel-baden-wurttemberg-elections

[JDPriestly]

1. 4.3% unemployment and 5.5% growth

That is what strong unions, universal healthcare, alternative energy and a Value Added Tax do for an economy.

We need to learn from that. I repeat: strong unions (union representation on boards of directors of large companies required), universal healthcare (not the employer's responsibility), alternative energy (Germany has NO OIL) and a Value Added Tax (distributing a share of the tax burden to imported goods) does for an economy.

Remember: strong unions, universal healthcare, alternative energy and a VAT -- the recipe for a thriving economy.

[Kolesar]

5. & a small budget for weapons and war ... eom

[pampango]

6. That, too. They all add up to a strong economy. n/t

[AndyTiedye]

7. All Good Except for the Regressive VAT

With the inflation we have already, jacking up the price of everything by 15-20% would go over real well.

[lovuian]

2. I have relatives there and they are not surprised at

Merkel's losses...the people are not willing to bail out all of Europe for the Euro

[girl gone mad]

3. I have mixed feelings for them.

On the one hand, the frustration is understandable. On the other hand, they were the primary beneficiaries of the Maastricht treaty since it locked their trade partners into uncompetitive exchange rates. Germans tend to see themselves only as victims of the profligacy of the PIIGs, but much of that debt also fueled the growth of Germany's manufacturing sector. It is similar to the relationship we have with China.

[reorg]

deleted

[reorg]

4. amazingly dumb article

"even more shocking is the slim (sic) chance that the ultra-socialist (sic) Left party might win enough votes to be represented in the state parliament" ... Unless you were trying to be ironic, Ms Pidd, I got news for you: the Left Party is represented in 13 of 16 state parliaments plus the Bundestag and the European Parliament. It is neither "ultra-socialist" nor would it be surprising if they finally jump the 5 percent hurdle in Baden-Württemberg.

The upcoming change of government has very little to do with the Chancellor and even less with the catastrophe in Fukushima (even though the first and most influential anti-nuke movement in Germany started in Baden-Württemberg in the mid-seventies). It is largely the result of "Stuttgart 21", a project to move the main train station underground, involving major construction work at the cost of some 6 billion that apparently the overwhelming majority of the residents don't want. The Greens were opposed to the project, so they jumped in the polls - starting more than two years ago and peaking last October, with some 30 percent. What's more, one of the larger cities in Baden-Württemberg, Freiburg (where the anti-nuke movement has its roots), is among the most liberal in the country and has a Green mayor. So it's not really a big surprise that the Greens finally end up governing that state.

[Canuckistanian]

8. Interesting analysis

Do you live in Germany?