I think Gerhard Schroder might be able to

[...of J.Temperance]

Pull this off. On current calculations:

SDP = 34%
Grune = 8.1%
Linke = 8.6%

Total = 50.7% (probably will drop a bit)

CDU/CSU = 35%
FDP = 10%

Total = 45% (probably will rise a bit)

Angela Merkel needs to get 6% from somewhere. I've hated Merkel for a LONG time, not only will she be very bad news for Europe, but she's also a full neo-Con that's totally up Junior's ass. Her winning means German troops for Iraq...Iran...Syria...15% across the board tax cut and making EVERYTHING that's not nailed down private.

For all his faults, Gerhard Schroder would be the safer pair of hands.

[Mass]

1. I hope they can, but the news are not that great

Linke has said they did not want to be part of a coalition (and Scroeder said the same thing, I think) and FPD has said they would not make a coalition with SPD-Green.

Hope that they can find a solution because Schroeder is better than Merkel.

[...of J.Temperance]

3. So once AGAIN a left-wing party fucks it up and let's the nutjobs in

Linke are, are they a Communist party? I must say that I've not previously been that aware of them.

But the SDP = C/L, the Greens = L/C and Linke = L/L and so they'll cut off their nose to despite their face, like the left-wing ALWAYS do and out of sheer SPITE as the left-wing ALWAYS do, they'll let the proto-Fascist Angela Merkel and the TOTALLY insane CSU in.

Great, three cheers for Linke.

:sarcasm:

[LincolnMcGrath]

5. Makes you wonder doesn't it?

If anti-Labor candidates get in power in Germany, you can kiss your workers rights goodbye in this country.

[...of J.Temperance]

8. I just for ONCE wish that these egotistical left-wing minor parties

Would do something that's right for ONCE. It's always THEM that mess stuff up, they never seem to be able to see, that by sulking and sitting on their hands and screaming "NO NO NO" allows the extreme Right-Wing to get in...which in the short term AND the long term RUINS EVERYTHING for the great majority of a nations population.

Why can't the left-wing for ONCE stop being SO selfish, and do whats best for the common good? I often have wondered, whether these left-wing parties are ACTUALLY funded by the right-wing, because EVERYTHING they do during an election, always seems in the end to help the right-wing out.

[Bumblebee]

9. Yes they are former Communists plus disgruntled SDP members but

Schroeder said he did not want them in his coalition so that is mutual.

[...of J.Temperance]

16. Oh, because I was just wondering if the SDP could get their hands on

Maybe some "embarrassing" photographs of the leader of Linke, you know photographs with hookers or animals or something ;)

[Mass]

25. Schroeder does not want Linke in government anyway.

This is not a one way problem. This has probably a lot more to do with personal issues between the two men (Schroeder and Lafontaine).

[reorg]

36. not a personal issue

Lafontaine, although an eminent member, only joined the Linkspartei very recently (as a top candidate and spokesperson, nontheless).

The fact that they rule out a coalition runs much deeper. In the West, the Linkspartei almost exclusively consists of disgruntled former SPD members who are fed up with the social cuts and industry friendly policies of the current coalition. You do not leave a party in order to form a coalition government with them. However, if the SPD is able to move on and withdraw some cuts, I would think it is possible for the Linkspartei to tolerate a minority government of the Left, at least for a while. They can always say, the voters left them no other chance. All other constellations would indeed be worse.

[KingFlorez]

2. He won't form a coalition with Linke

And the leader of Linke won't go for that. I think Schroder will be able to form a government though.

[...of J.Temperance]

4. How will he?

The numbers:

SDP = 34%
Grune = 8.1%

Total = 42.1%

CDU/CSU = 35%
FDP = 10%

Total = 45%

So, Schroder = 42.1% and Merkel = 45%

Merkel will form the government, thanks to Linke who are obviously being Ralph Nader in 2000.

[stepnw1f]

6. Principal Trumping Reality and Consequences

I really get frustrated when I see this moronic shit happen. There really is no logic behind this. The only thing I can think of, is that Linke is power hungry and willing to screw the country in order to destroy Schroeder's party. This still is illogical and a huge gamble. People's lives are at stake.

[Mass]

10. The Greens have nothing to do with that.

Linke is the party that would not be in govt and that Schroeder does not want in anyway.

[stepnw1f]

12. Oh Crap... My Mistake, You are Right

I should have look a bit closer.

[...of J.Temperance]

11. No, the Greens (Grune) are in SUPPORT of Schroder

They've been in a coalition for years with the SDP. It's this bloody Linke party that needs to be bull-whipped.

I've always thought that the Democratic Party should have a coalition with the Green Party. It works in other countries.

[reorg]

34. you would really have to be totally oblivious of history and facts

to make such a statement. The Linkspartei "power hungry"?

If the logic of the situation escapes you, as a proud member of the Linkspartei I am willing to help you out. Just ask.

[Mass]

7. They dont need them in government - they just need them to vote for them

when the govt is confirmed. (I wonder if this is a possibility in Germany, but I remember in France, some socialist governements did not have Communists in them, but the Communists still voted for them to confirm the governement).

[...of J.Temperance]

13. Perhaps

Let's hope.

[reorg]

35. that's right

There is the distinct possibility of the Linkspartei tolerating a Red/Green government. This would be tied to certain conditions, though.

[...of J.Temperance]

37. Okay, thats some good news

Thanks for your input in clearing this up and giving us some insight into Linke ;)

[Bumblebee]

14. FDP is to the left of CDU/CSU so a compromise is possible

(and the two were in a coalition in the past, as late as early 1980s) but not likely since several key people in these two parties cannot stand each other.

Latest from BBC:

Germany's political future appears uncertain, with both Ms Merkel and centre-left Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder claiming a mandate to govern.

Observers say a grand coalition between their two parties is a likely outcome.

[...of J.Temperance]

15. I think the CDU/CSU/FDP

Were the coalition under Helmut Kohl, I think the FDP leader was the German Foreign Minister, can't remember his name, black hair and I think he wore glasses.

[Bumblebee]

17. Here's a good article on the history

of German gov coalitions:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4252382.stm

[...of J.Temperance]

21. Based on that

This election could end up being a complete mess. I think that there might have to be another election within six months somehow.

[Mass]

18. Are you speaking of Hans-Dietrich Genscher?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans-Dietrich_Genscher

[...of J.Temperance]

19. No, it's Klaus Kinkel I'm thinking of (link)

Leader of the FDP and German Foreign Minister 1992-1998:

http://www.nndb.com/people/090/000098793/

[Mass]

23. delete

[...of J.Temperance]

20. FDP leader just ruled out coalition with SDP/Greens :(

[sonicx]

22. Nothing new there really

You're right, this is a mess.

[Mass]

24. Schroeder just ruled out a CDU/SDP coalition with Merkel as Chancellor

http://de.news.yahoo.com/050918/286/4oz15.html


Schröder: Keine große Koalition unter Merkel

[Bumblebee]

26. here's more on that from CNN

If she were to replace Schroeder as chancellor, she could be forced to share power with his SPD in a "grand coalition."

But Schroeder told Germany's ARD television that his Social Democrats would not enter into a right-left government with Merkel as chancellor.

"There will be no coalition under her leadership with my Social Democrats," Reuters quoted him as saying.

But Schroeder said he could envisage a grand coalition under him as chancellor. "Yes -- how else could it work?" he told ARD after being asked about the possibility.

Markets fear that a grand coalition would doom Merkel's plans to push through aggressive labor market and tax system reforms.

Some analysts suggested Schroeder could remain in power by forming a coalition with the Greens and FDP.

But FDP leader Guido Westerwelle ruled out such an alliance on Sunday, as have the Greens, Reuters reported.

Left Party leader Oskar Lafontaine ruled out forming an alliance with Schroeder's party Sunday night, The Associated Press reported.

"It's a totally open question what happens next," said CNN's Charles Hodson in Berlin.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/09/18/germany.election/index.html

[Mass]

27. Thanks, I could not find anything in English about that.

[...of J.Temperance]

28. This is what I've found out:

Within the next two weeks, the German parliament has three attempts to form some sort of coalition government. If all three attempts fail, then the German President can invite either Merkel or Schroder and ask one of them to try and form a minority government.

[Bumblebee]

29. It would appear that Schroeder sort of has some momentum on

his side because he did better than expected while she did MUCH worse than expected, and they are basically tied. His party will probably unite behind him while hers will tear her apart because she did not deliver.

[...of J.Temperance]

30. Gosh, let's hope so, Merkel's scary and the CSU are about an inch

Away from being neo-Nazi's, they certainly have sympathies with the neo-Nazi's in the Bavaria region. I think that this is the CDU/CSU's worst result in a long time.

I saw Angela Merkel on the television just before, and she's doesn't look very happy...although bizarrely for such a result, she's already taken a leaf out of the Bush bastard's book and is claiming that this result has given her "a strong mandate to govern."

[Bumblebee]

31. Her audience is hopefully less gullible than B's was...

[...of J.Temperance]

38. They're right-winger's, aren't they all gullible? :)

But as has been commented, Schroder appears to have the better hand here.

[sonicx]

32. SPD is now projected to have more seats

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,375257,00.html

not over yet, but things look good.

[Bumblebee]

33. wow -- keeping all my fingers and toes crossed!

that would be SO WUNDERBAR!!

[...of J.Temperance]

39. SDP seems to have dodged the bullet

Keep hoping for the good news.