Election Day in Germany today

[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]

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