Election Day in Germany today

[Kirsten]

Well, what can I say... Four more years with Angela Merkel as our Chancellor, but with her party being in a new coalition with the Free Liberals. The Social Democrats suffered a bitter defeat, the worst in their history after the end of WW2, as it seems. I'm also surprised that the Green party didn't get more votes.

from cnn:
German exit polls show Merkel retains office

Kirsten

[sasvermont]

Kirsten, I was reading about the election just this morning. The article painted this election to be sort of "ho hum" .... and that not many people were expected to vote. I don't follow German politics all that closely these days. I have enough problems keeping up with that oh so raw PetTalk thread, "Religion and Politics"...

Each election can be SO different as far as people getting excited about it or getting involved.

Did you vote?!!

[Killearn Kitties]

An exit poll is still only a poll though. Sometimes people tell lies.
It's always safest to wait for the result.

[Barbara]

We'll have a conservative- liberal government for the next 4 years. The traditional parties (conservative and socialist) lost a lot of votes and the smaller parties - liberal, green and the left of socialist which are mainly elected in the Eastern part won quite some votes.

[Kirsten]

Yes, I voted. But only 71% have voted today.

Well, guess the result of this election doesn't come as a surprise to the most of us. However, there's some talk that Guido Westerwelle, the leader of the Free Democrats, may become our next foreign minister, so you may see him more often in the future...

Kirsten

[Kirsten]

We'll have a conservative- liberal government for the next 4 years. The traditional parties (conservative and socialist) lost a lot of votes and the smaller parties - liberal, green and the left of socialist which are mainly elected in the Eastern part won quite some votes.

Well, IMO this happened because especially the Social Democrats (SPD) have sold out too much during the past years... To many, they didn't seem to be much different from CDU/CSU (the conservative parties) lately and I guess many of these voters voted left or green instead - or liberal. Now, being in the opposition, the SPD may have a chance to go back to their roots.

Kirsten

[lizbud]

We'll have a conservative- liberal government for the next 4 years.

That term sounds like a oxymoron here. How many political parties
do you have in Germany?

[Kirsten]

That term sounds like a oxymoron here. How many political parties
do you have in Germany?

There are 5 parties in our parliament right now:
CDU/CSU (Christian Democrats, conservative)
SPD (Social Democrats)
FDP (Free Democrats)
Die Linke (left-wing party)
Die Grünen (Green party)

Angela Merkel's party is CDU, and they are in coalition with the FDP now.

Kirsten