Merkel hangs on to power but bleeds support to surging far right

[webfact]

Merkel hangs on to power but bleeds support to surging far right

By Paul Carrel and Thomas Escritt

 

Christian Democratic Union CDU party leader and German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks after first exit polls in the German general election (Bundestagswahl) in Berlin, Germany, September 24, 2017.    REUTERS/Axel Schmidt

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel won a fourth term in office on Sunday but will have to build an uneasy coalition to form a German government after her conservatives haemorrhaged support in the face of a surge by the far-right.

 

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) stunned the establishment by winning 13.1 percent of the vote, projected results showed, a result that will bring a far-right party into parliament for the first time in more than half a century.

 

Merkel's conservative bloc emerged as the largest parliamentary party but, with just 33.2 percent of the vote, saw its support slump to the lowest since 1949 - the first time national elections were held in post-war Germany.

 

Her main Social Democrat rivals also received their worst result since the 1940s -- just 20.8 percent -- after nearly half of voters repudiated the two parties that have dominated Germany since World War Two.

 

With parliament now fragmented, Merkel appears likely to cobble together a tricky three-way coalition with a pro-business group and the Greens.

 

Merkel said the success of the far right was a test for Germans. It was important to listen to the concerns of their voters and win them back.

 

"Of course we had hoped for a slightly better result. But we mustn't forget that we have just completed an extraordinarily challenging legislative period, so I am happy that we reached the strategic goals of our election campaign," Merkel said.

 

"We are the strongest party, we have the mandate to build the next government - and there cannot be a coalition government built against us," Merkel added.

 

The election was fought on the tense backdrop of surging support for far left and far right parties across Europe.

 

Germany in particular is coping with the arrival of more than 1 million refugees and other new migrants, with tension with Russia since Moscow's incursions into Ukraine, and with doubt about Europe's future since Britain voted to quit the EU.

 

After shock election results last year, from the Brexit vote to the election of U.S. President Donald Trump, leaders of Europe's establishment have looked to Merkel to rally the liberal Western order.

 

But after acting as an anchor of stability in Europe and beyond, she now faces an unstable situation at home as she must now form a coalition, an arduous process that could take months.

 

Immediately after the release of exit polls, the deputy party leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), junior partners in a "grand coalition" with Merkel's conservatives for the last four years, said her party would now go into opposition.

 

"For us, the grand coalition ends today," Manuela Schwesig told ZDF broadcaster. "For us it's clear that we'll go into opposition as demanded by the voter."

 

Without the SPD, Merkel's only straightforward path to a majority in parliament would be a three-way tie-up with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens, known as a "Jamaica" coalition because the black, yellow and green colours of the three parties match the Jamaican flag.

 

Such an arrangement is untested at the national level in Germany and widely seen as inherently unstable. Both the FDP and the Greens have played down the prospect of a three-way coalition, but neither won enough seats on Sunday to give Merkel a majority on its own.

 

NEW ERA

 

Whatever the make-up of her coalition, Merkel, 63, faces four years of government in a fragmented parliament after the return of the FDP - unrepresented at national level for the last four years - and the arrival of the AfD.

 

Founded in 2013 by an anti-euro group of academics, the AfD has surged as an anti-immigrant group in the wake of Merkel's 2015 decision to leave German borders open to over 1 million migrants, most of them fleeing war in the Middle East.

 

The party's entry into the national parliament heralds the beginning of a new era in German politics that will see more robust debate and a departure from the steady, consensus-based approach that has marked the post-war period.

 

The other parties elected to the Bundestag all refuse to work with the AfD, which says it will press for Merkel to be "severely punished" for opening the door to refugees and migrants.

 

After the AfD hurt her conservatives in regional elections last year, Merkel, a pastor's daughter who grew up in Communist East Germany, wondered if she should run for re-election.

 

But with the migrant issue under control this year, she threw herself into a punishing campaign schedule.

 

Despite losing support, Merkel, Europe's longest serving leader, will join the late Helmut Kohl, her mentor who reunified Germany, and Konrad Adenauer, who led Germany's rebirth after World War Two, as the only post-war chancellors to win four national elections.

 

(This version of the story has been refiled adding dropped word in paragraph 1)

 

(Additional reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Keith Weir and Peter Graff)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-25

[hawker9000]

Germans and French are learning...

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by hawker9000

[FreddieRoyle]

"But with the migrant issue under control this year, "

 

 It is very very hard to find official figures for it, but something like 2% of Merkels millions have found employment. Which leaves about 98% living on welfare. That is not "under control" in my opinion. And next year the family reunification will kick in, not sure how many family members each one is entitled to import but I believe it is over 10 per refugee, and after a further 3 years each of these can invite their extended family and so it continues ad infinitum. I'm sure the AfD can clarify the impending disaster that Merkel and her tame media have covered up.

 

[StayinThailand2much]

Merkel might be forced into a 'Jamaica Coalition' with the Greens and the liberal FDP (chosen colour: yellow), as the Social Democrats will do the reasonable thing, and sit on the opposition's bench, 'licking their wounds' and pondering their failed policies and strategy since the turn of the century.

 

Jamaica Coalition: why does a banana republic come to mind?

[oxo1947]

So Merkel got 33%.....May got 42%..& both of them didn't get enough seats to rule... But its accepted that they will head the government. Its nothing unusual.

.

Meanwhile with our cousins across the pond........It seems, some think its a disaster & the sky is falling, in that Trump who got a higher % than those 2...plus all the seats needed to rule is now  POTUS.........

[nobodysfriend]

 

 " Merkel's 2015 decision to leave German borders open to over 1 million migrants, most of them fleeing war in the Middle East. "

 

 

Does she not know that the surge of the far right is directly related to her policy of immigration ...?

[StayinThailand2much]

23 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

And next year the family reunification will kick in, not sure how many family members each one is entitled to import but I believe it is over 10 per refugee, and after a further 3 years each of these can invite their extended family and so it continues ad infinitum. I'm sure the AfD can clarify the impending disaster that Merkel and her tame media have covered up.

You do the maths: 1.5 million (or more) refugees (of whom about 70 per cent are adult males): 1.5 million x 10 = another 15million Syrians in Germany. 1.5 million + 15 million + 5.5 million other Muslims living in Germany now, mostly from Turkey, Balkans... = 22 million!

 

Germany has currently a population of 82 million, incl. (registered) foreigners, add 15 million new "refugees" = 97 million!

 

That means, that instantaneously, Germany's living population will be made up of 23% Muslims (22million out of 97million)! Not to mention, that Muslims tend to have 6 or more children, as opposed to German couples, who have only one child on average.

 

Within a few years 50% of "Germans" will be Muslims (mostly originating in Syria), i.e. the death knell for German culture, literature, educational systems, social welfare systems, health care, etc., etc.

 

Some Germans openly discuss that Merkel wants to 'substitute Germans with those immigrants'. In the (left-leaning) media of course, those people are described as 'maniacs' and 'dumb-wits'. But if you just do the simple math, what all the leftist German media outlets never do, of course, you can see that the uncontrolled immigration from the Middle East has to lead to a disaster for Germany, but "Christian" "Democrats" like Merkel just do not care, cause they live far away from poverty and mass-immigration-related problems in their villas, and don't mind, single-handedly, selling out Germany's rich culture and heritage to Islam and medieval Middle-Eastern customs.

Edited September 25, 2017 by StayinThailand2much

[nobodysfriend]

3 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

You do the maths: 1.5 million (or more) refugees (of whom about 70 per cent are adult males): 1.5 million x 10 = another 15million Syrians. 1.5 million + 15 million + 5.5 million other Muslims living in Germany now, mostly from Turkey, Balkans... = 22 million!

 

Germany has currently a population of 82 million, incl. (registered) foreigners, add 15 million new "refugees" = 97 million!

 

That means, that instantaneously Germany's living population will be made up of 23% Muslims! Not to mention, that Muslims tend to have 6 or more children, as opposed to German couples one child on average.

 

Within a few years 50% of "Germans" will be Muslim (mostly originating in Syria), i.e. the death knell for German culture, literature, social welfare system, etc.

 

May be Merkel is a muslim , too ...?

[FreddieRoyle]

3 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

 

 " Merkel's 2015 decision to leave German borders open to over 1 million migrants, most of them fleeing war in the Middle East. "

 

 

Does she not know that the surge of the far right is directly related to her policy of immigration ...?

Small point, but it is becoming very irritating to read this lie repeated all the time. The millions that came to Germany are almost all from North Africa, in the main they are from Morrocco, Tunisia, Algeria and also sub Sahara countries. The people smuggling gangs are highly organized and the ships ferrying them across the Med were highly funded by NGOs. Very very few came from war zones in Syria and Iraq. Is it too much to ask that the truth be told, and just admit they are economic migrants coming for the freebies on offer?

[Grouse]

Well there's some rather facile posts here but this is what's important

 

1) Merkel retains power

 

2) The German electoral system always returns coalitions

 

3) With much uncertainty out of the way a Merkel / Macron axis (as it were) is re-energised 

 

4) Watch out for significant EU changes

 

5) The rose of AfD, however horrifying, is in my view a good thing. Will encourage reversal of the Islamic invasion to Germany in particular and EU in general.

 

6) EU outer ring of membership now probable and should provide everything the UK requires

 

Great stuff!

[StayinThailand2much]

23 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

Does she not know that the surge of the far right is directly related to her policy of immigration ...?

She knows it, of course, but she couldn't give a rat's ass.

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

And in the end the only sollution will be one that costs many lives. The greed of the elites are always paid for by blood of the young poor people. Can the Europeans not see that they are setting themselves up for the rise of the fanatics to the right which will put the hate of Hitler to shame. 

[DM07]

It's not the "far right"- it's Nazis!

Let's call it, what it is!

And everyone, who is happy or satisfied with that, should have their heads checked!

Germany voted a Nazi- party into parliament!

Just get that into your thick skulls!

If you don't believe it: go through the points of their manifest one by one and get a German to translate and explain them to you!

Jeeeeezus!

[DM07]

30 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Small point, but it is becoming very irritating to read this lie repeated all the time. The millions that came to Germany are almost all from North Africa, in the main they are from Morrocco, Tunisia, Algeria and also sub Sahara countries. The people smuggling gangs are highly organized and the ships ferrying them across the Med were highly funded by NGOs. Very very few came from war zones in Syria and Iraq. Is it too much to ask that the truth be told, and just admit they are economic migrants coming for the freebies on offer?

Any prove for this BS?!

[StayinThailand2much]

19 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

May be Merkel is a muslim , too ...?

She's certainly not a Christian. She was in cahoots not only with the East German communists (SED), but also with East Germany's secret service (MFS). She was not only allowed to study at East German unis, but was even awarded a doctorate for quantum chemistry in 1986.

 

Mind you, no-one, who wasn't thought of being a '100% follower' of the communists, was allowed to go to university in East Germany, and most had to join the communist party in order to become teachers, assistant professors, etc.

 

She only joined the CDU in 1990, cause she thought that this party would take her to power quickly. (See her pic from the 1990s.) 

[StayinThailand2much]

32 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Small point, but it is becoming very irritating to read this lie repeated all the time. The millions that came to Germany are almost all from North Africa, in the main they are from Morrocco, Tunisia, Algeria and also sub Sahara countries. 

Some were even from Pakistan, claiming to be refugees from Syria!

Edited September 25, 2017 by StayinThailand2much

[FreddieRoyle]

15 minutes ago, DM07 said:

Any prove for this BS?!

Yes. Can you tell the difference between Syrians and Africans? The clue is the color of the skin, Syrians being much lighter skinned and Africans much darker. Basic fact of life. Now, take a gander at these migrant boats, there are thousands and thousands of photos if you google, and have a look at the migrants.  Unfortunately the German officials lie about this and claim they are mainly Syrians fleeing war - but the photos do not lie. Edit to add, you can also tell the sex of the migrants by the photos of the boats they all arrive on. Almost all young and male. Not judging here, just stating the facts as I see them.

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by FreddieRoyle

[DM07]

5 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Yes. Can you tell the difference between Syrians and Africans? The clue is the color of the skin, Syrians being much lighter skinned and Africans much darker. Basic fact of life. Now, take a gander at these migrant boats, there are thousands and thousands of photos if you google, and have a look at the migrants.  Unfortunately the German officials lie about this and claim they are mainly Syrians fleeing war - but the photos do not lie.

 

...seriously, dude?

[StayinThailand2much]

21 minutes ago, Grouse said:

5) The rose of AfD, however horrifying, is in my view a good thing. Will encourage reversal of the Islamic invasion to Germany in particular and EU in general.

Spot on! Even 70 per cent of the AfD voters did not chose them cause 'they like the party', but because they are disappointed about the 'established' parties. The liberal FDP could double their votes for the same reason, by the way.

 

I don't think, that many voters actually want the AfD in government, but rather as a catalyst for necessary changes. Plus many voters outside of Bavaria would have voted for the more conservative CSU if they could have, rather than the more left-leaning CDU, which is nowadays more leftist and (mass-)immigration friendly than the Social Democrats and greener than the Greens.

 

In most countries, where the 'conservative' party drifted to the left, usually room opened for a new conservative/nationalist party, vying for the old voters of the former.

 

Same for the left, e.g. in Germany, Die Linke and the Greens filled a vacuum left by the Social Democrats on the left, after the latter drifted to the right in 2003.

[johnnyonesock]

40 minutes ago, StayinThailand2much said:

She's certainly not a Christian. She was in cahoots not only with the East German communists (SED), but also with East Germany's secret service (MFS). She was not only allowed to study at East German unis, but was even awarded a doctorate for quantum chemistry in 1986.

 

Mind you, no-one, who wasn't thought of being a '100% follower' of the communists, was allowed to go to university in East Germany, and most had to join the communist party in order to become teachers, assistant professors, etc.

 

She only joined the CDU in 1990, cause she thought that this party would take her to power quickly. (See her pic from the 1990s.) 

 

[StayinThailand2much]

18 minutes ago, FreddieRoyle said:

Unfortunately the German officials lie about this and claim they are mainly Syrians fleeing war - but the photos do not lie. Edit to add, you can also tell the sex of the migrants by the photos of the boats they all arrive on. Almost all young and male. Not judging here, just stating the facts as I see them.

The German officials (and mass media) lied to the public, claiming that they had to take more than 1million Syrian refugees off Turkey's shoulder, in exchange for Erdogan's promise to keep the African and South Asian immigrants off the (eastern) Greek border.

 

The German mass media (esp. TV stations ARD und ZDF) manipulated and lied to their viewers, telling them that 'mostly families with little kids were arriving from Syria', showing little kids in their coverage, even though they knew that 70 per cent of the "refugees" were young single males. (A ZDF anchor of the main news show "Heute" just admitted that fact in a talk show on ZDF!)

 

Also, Germans are not anti-foreigner, on the contrary, but "refugees", by definition, go sooner or later home, once the war is over. so why do they have to bring their extended families to Germany too?? Mind you, almost no refugee ever leaves Germany again, thanks to politicians who care zilch about their own people and electorate!

[Ace of Pop]

Its All Anti Imegrant. Just do what Thailand does.Bring yer money , no Handouts from Thai Working Folks,no Free Acomodation , and no Beggars come here . Job  Done.

[bert bloggs]

1 hour ago, DM07 said:

Any prove for this BS?!

You are spot on ,i have it on good authority ,most are doctors ,lawyers ,It specialists , or have a trade skill that is vital for the German economy ,and very very few will ever want a handout ,

" No nurse im'e not playing with the computer again"

[mfd101]

1 hour ago, StayinThailand2much said:

She's certainly not a Christian. She was in cahoots not only with the East German communists (SED), but also with East Germany's secret service (MFS). She was not only allowed to study at East German unis, but was even awarded a doctorate for quantum chemistry in 1986.

 

Mind you, no-one, who wasn't thought of being a '100% follower' of the communists, was allowed to go to university in East Germany, and most had to join the communist party in order to become teachers, assistant professors, etc.

 

She only joined the CDU in 1990, cause she thought that this party would take her to power quickly. (See her pic from the 1990s.) 

Oh no! And perhaps she wasn't even BORN in Germany!

[ujayujay]

2 hours ago, FreddieRoyle said:

"But with the migrant issue under control this year, "

 

 It is very very hard to find official figures for it, but something like 2% of Merkels millions have found employment. Which leaves about 98% living on welfare. That is not "under control" in my opinion. And next year the family reunification will kick in, not sure how many family members each one is entitled to import but I believe it is over 10 per refugee, and after a further 3 years each of these can invite their extended family and so it continues ad infinitum. I'm sure the AfD can clarify the impending disaster that Merkel and her tame media have covered up.

 

You are fishing in the dark.....only whats aboutism.....

[White Christmas13]

30 minutes ago, ujayujay said:

You are fishing in the dark.....only whats aboutism.....

BERLIN—Germany’s government posted a record €12.1 billion ($13.14 billion) budget surplus last year, a much needed financial boost that the country’s finance minister said will help accommodate the record influx of migrants to Europe’s largest economy.

 

⦁ http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-government-achieves-historic-budget-surplus-1452691320
 

[DM07]

57 minutes ago, bert bloggs said:

You are spot on ,i have it on good authority ,most are doctors ,lawyers ,It specialists , or have a trade skill that is vital for the German economy ,and very very few will ever want a handout ,

" No nurse im'e not playing with the computer again"

Making dickish jokes is no prove!

Next!

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, Grouse said:

Well there's some rather facile posts here but this is what's important

 

1) Merkel retains power

 

2) The German electoral system always returns coalitions

 

3) With much uncertainty out of the way a Merkel / Macron axis (as it were) is re-energised 

 

4) Watch out for significant EU changes

 

5) The rose of AfD, however horrifying, is in my view a good thing. Will encourage reversal of the Islamic invasion to Germany in particular and EU in general.

 

6) EU outer ring of membership now probable and should provide everything the UK requires

 

Great stuff!

 

Why is the rise of AfD "horrifying"?

 

They are not Nazis, fascists, as the left liberal press like to label anyone who isn't left wing or very very close to the center. 

 

Do you think the rise of the extreme left in some countries equally horrifying?

[StayinThailand2much]

25 minutes ago, White Christmas13 said:

BERLIN—Germany’s government posted a record €12.1 billion ($13.14 billion) budget surplus last year, a much needed financial boost that the country’s finance minister said will help accommodate the record influx of migrants to Europe’s largest economy.

 

⦁ http://www.wsj.com/articles/german-government-achieves-historic-budget-surplus-1452691320
 

But unfortunately they don't do it! You would think there is a construction boom in Germany, with so many newcomers, but there isn't as they are all housed in hotels.

 

Even before all those refugees came to Germany, there were almost 400,000 people in Germany homeless, incl. more than 40,000 sleeping rough, of which a few freeze to death every year in winter!

 

There is a huge lack in Germany of public housing, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, qualified and German-speaking teachers, nurses, etc. (In some retirement homes, old people are known to lie in their feces for days due to lack of nurses!)

 

Unfortunately, German politicians can only open the borders, cause this is easy, but about public housing, what happens in the schools, to the elderly, the homeless, training more nurses and teachers, etc. they do not care.

 

Before Germany  can 'save the world', perhaps they should solve the horrendous problems in their social system first, of which the politicians of the 'established' parties seem to be incapable of. 

[StayinThailand2much]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Why is the rise of AfD "horrifying"?

 

They are not Nazis, fascists, as the left liberal press like to label anyone who isn't left wing or very very close to the center. 

 

Do you think the rise of the extreme left in some countries equally horrifying?

The 'Nazis'. i.e. the party members who make the news with 'racist' or 'nationalist' outbursts are just a tiny minority in this party. (However, you will hardly ever find interviews with 'moderate' AfD members in the leftist German media.)

 

Racist remarks are not limited to the AfD. You can find them also within the CSU and CDU (Christian Democrats), SPD (Social Democrats; --> I recommend to google "Thilo Sarrazin"!) and FDP (Liberals), too, but I don't know anyone who, for that reason, would call those parties 'nationalistic', 'right-wing', or 'fascist'.

 

All small parties, when they were new, were ridiculed, like the Greens in the 1980s (with the first Green state minister in sneakers, which was as intensely discussed in the mass media, as the Greens' casual clothes and 'long hair', or their tendency to anti-establishment, and street protests against airport construction), or Die Linke (labeled pro-communist in the 1990)... Both are 'established' and respected parties now, with a popular Green being the head of government in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg (--> Stuttgart), and the state of Thuringia being led by a Die Linke 'minister-president'.

Edited September 25, 2017 by StayinThailand2much