Update [2005-9-19 00:44:30 by Oui]:
for Chancellor Leadership ::
- Too Close to Call
225 CDU/CSU [-22]
222 SDP [-27]
61 FDP [+14]
54 Linkspartei [+52]
51 Greens [-4]
.. Others
Deutsche Welle – english –
CDU, SPD Claim Victory
Without Majority
● Parties Put the Spin on Election Results
● “Only God Knows Who Will Win”
● Election 2005
● DW-TV on election projections
Gerhard’s one day of joy will soon turn sour. He may be in denial, and still sees himself as savior of German economic problems, perhaps he should review his own arguments for holding these early elections. Those facts haven’t changed and will make a third term as Chancellor highly unlikely, unless he is willing to put Germany’s future at stake.
2005 9/18 9/19
EUR/$ 1.2232 1.2136 ▼
$/JPY 111.35 111.33
GBP/$ 1.8078 1.8025 ▼
Germany needs a solution to proceed in economic reform and take a tough stance and committment on policy.
Only if the CDU-CSU Christian Democratic Union wants to continue with Angela Merkel
as their political leader, will she have a chance to become Germany’s first woman Chancellor.
A lot of questions that have to be cleared up in the coming 2-3 weeks and end the uncertainty for not only Germans, but also the EU and International relationships in the World. The worst outcome of an election has become reality the political leaders will face as a new day dawns. Who is Germany’s true leader … or will Germany be heading in a devastating period of uncertainty, political stalemate and further weakening of its economy.
● WaPo – Divided German Voters Leave New Leadership Uncertain
BERLIN, Sept. 18 — German voters dumped Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s government but split their ballots among so many different parties that none was able to muster enough support to replace it.
Exit polls indicated that the German electorate was more fragmented than it had been in any other national vote in recent history, a reflection of deep anxiety over record unemployment and years of anemic growth in the world’s third-largest economy.
Will keep diary UPDATED!
More to follow below the fold »»
German Election Result Will Be Delayed After Candidate’s Death
Sept. 8 (Bloomberg) — The final result of Germany’s election on Sept. 18 will be delayed by at least two weeks after the death of a candidate forced the postponement of voting in one of the 299 electoral districts.
Voters in the district in the eastern city of Dresden, will have to wait until at least the first weekend of October to cast their ballots after the local candidate for the anti-immigration National Democratic Party, Kerstin Lorenz, died.
The delay means the votes from the district’s 219,000-strong electorate may decide the final election result.
In the last election in 2002, only 6,000 votes separated Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democratic Party from the opposition Christian Democrats.
Linkepartei – a group anti-Schröder from Eastern part of Germany, ex-commies – are the big winners. Last election with 4,7% of vote, missed minimum of 5% to gain seats in parliament; with 8,7% of vote and 54 seats, their goal for these elections was reached: prevent Schröder to continue as Chancellor and to prevent an outright majority of CDU-CSU and FDP administration with Angela Merkel. So far, the Linkepartei leadership refuse to be part of either coalition to form a new government.
A stalemate has been reached – either a GRAND coalition of both largest parties should be formed or perhaps a minority government, which takes over until in the short term new elections will be held.
Merkel’s party won 225 seats, three more than the Social Democrats; the Free Democrats got 61, the Left Party 54 and the Greens 51. Germany’s legislature has at least 598 seats — but often more — elected under proportional representation from party lists. The outgoing parliament, for example, has 601 lawmakers.
Merkel’s preferred coalition partners — the pro-business Free Democrats — had 9.8 percent, leaving such an alliance short of outright victory. The Greens, the Social Democrats’ current governing partner, had 8.1 percent; together, the two parties failed to reach a majority, ending Schroeder’s government.
The Left Party had 8.7 percent of the vote, but Schroeder said he would not work with them. The overall election turnout was 77.7 percent.
Exit Poll: Germans Oust Schroeder’s Party
Major upset as earlier polls had predicted large gains for Angela Merkel, performance very poor.
Gerhard Schröder keeps losses limited to minor difference with winner CDU-CSU Angela Merkel.
Is uncertain which coalition will be formed.
- Parliament total 598 seats - possible coalitions:
- GRAND coalition CDU-CSU with SPD 448 seats
- Stoplight coalition SPD - FDP - Greens with 335 seats
- SPD - Greens - Linke with 328 seats
- CDU - FDP - Greens? with 337 seats.
EXIT POLLS RESULT :: at close of polls
221 CDU/CSU
207 SDP
65 FDP
53 Linkspartei
52 Greens
.. Others
First Analysis :: Poor performance for CDU-CSU in East German region. Angela Merkel lost much support, as the new Linksepartei wins 53 seats. The new party was formed as a social opposition party to Gerhard Schröder and is combined with many ex-commies from the Eastern region. These Germans still feel neglected, and have a high unemployment rate.
Germany’s Christian Democrats, led by Angela Merkel, have narrowly won Sunday’s election, exit polls suggest.
After voting ended Ms Merkel – who wants to introduce far-reaching reforms to revive a flagging economy – said her party had a “clear mandate” to govern. However it is unclear whether her party has won enough support to form a government with the Free Democrats (FDP).
Observers say she could be forced into a GRAND coalition with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s Social Democrats.
Germany’s ARD television puts the Christian Democrats in the lead with 35.5% of the vote, ahead of the Social Democrats on 34%.
The BBC’s William Horsley in Berlin says the exit polls suggest a tense wait as vote counting goes on, before it is clear what combination of parties may form the next government.
1. Social Democrats (SPD): 249
2. Christian Democrats/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU): 247
3. Greens: 55
4. Free Democrats (FDP): 47
5. Others: 3
German voters’ views
Analysis: Power struggle
