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Poll gap between Merkel's conservatives, Social Democrats shrinks to 4 points

 

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (C) leaves at the end of the European Union leaders summit in Valletta, Malta, February 3, 2017. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi

 

BERLIN (Reuters) - The lead in voter support for German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative alliance over the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) shrank to a multi-year low of 4 percentage points, an opinion poll showed on Sunday.

 

The SPD, which a week ago appointed Martin Schulz as leader, scored 29 percent in the survey published in newspaper Bild am Sonntag - a six-point jump that Bild said was the biggest pollster Emnid had ever recorded for the party.

 

The jump took SPD support to its highest in over four years.

 

Support for Merkel's CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, fell 4 points to 33 percent - cutting the gap between the two blocs to its narrowest in records compiled by poll tracker wahlrecht.de going back to Sept 2013.

 

"Martin Schulz is managing above all to win back former SPD voters and to appeal to them emotionally," Emnid's Torsten Schneider-Haase told the newspaper, adding: "Such a strong shift in party preferences within a week is a one-off."

 

The SPD appointed Schulz, a former European Parliament president, as leader last Sunday, replacing Sigmar Gabriel who said he was standing aside to boost the party's chances.

 

The move has re-energised the SPD, junior partner in Merkel's 'grand coalition', ahead of September's federal election.

 

Schulz has vowed to unseat Merkel with a campaign aimed at overcoming "deep divisions" that he says have fuelled populism in Germany in recent years.

 

In a theoretical head-to-head contest for chancellor, the Emnid poll showed Merkel pipping the Social Democrat to victory with 41 percent support to his 38 percent.

 

The SPD has held exploratory talks with the environmentalist Greens and the far-left Linke party about forming a left-leaning coalition government after the election but they need more support if that is to become a viable option.

 

The Emnid poll - a survey of 2,233 voters conducted from Jan. 26 to Feb. 2 - showed support for both the Greens and the Linke falling 2 points to 8 percent.

 

The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) was unchanged on 11 percent, with the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) on 6 percent, also unchanged.

 

Schulz has called for higher wage increases for workers, described U.S. President Donald Trump's policies as "un-American" and warned against lifting sanctions imposed against Russia over its role in the Ukraine crisis.

 

Merkel is meeting her Bavarian allies on Sunday for two days of talks aimed at rallying their troubled alliance ahead the Sept. 24 election, which she expects to be "tough like no other".

 

(Writing by Paul Carrel; editing by John Stonestreet)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-02-06

[canuckamuck]

How is she not run out of every town by a pitchfork waving mob? What is wrong with people these days

[sangfroid]

26 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

How is she not run out of every town by a pitchfork waving mob? What is wrong with people these days

And tarred and feathered.

 

[smudger1951]

Perhaps the answer lies in understanding the German psyche since WW2 guilt complex and this marxist Chancellor Merkel.

[SpeakeasyThai]

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

How is she not run out of every town by a pitchfork waving mob? What is wrong with people these days

Well thank heavens they have not come down to your level and will decide in a civilised manner at the ballot box later this year!

Edited February 6, 2017 by SpeakeasyThai

[canuckamuck]

59 minutes ago, smudger1951 said:

Perhaps the answer lies in understanding the German psyche since WW2 guilt complex and this marxist Chancellor Merkel.

Yes all the left has to do is wave the Hitler card and they get what they want. What the people don't realize is the liberals have become the fascists.

[elgordo38]

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

How is she not run out of every town by a pitchfork waving mob? What is wrong with people these days

A very good question maybe pitchforks are obsolete. I think they still make tar and feathers. If she plays this right and the opposing party is within striking distance by 4 points she can fight the good fight loose gracefully and move on to greater and better things with another paycheck attached. It seems the new normal among politicians. Obama's future earning power is estimated to be close to 300 million dollars and that ain't chump change. Blair is also milking it for all it is worth. Cameron up to bat. 

[SpeakeasyThai]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Yes all the left has to do is wave the Hitler card and they get what they want. What the people don't realize is the liberals have become the fascists.

I always thought free speech was a wonderful thing, yet when reading your posts i am now questioning that theory.

[elgordo38]

15 minutes ago, SpeakeasyThai said:

I always thought free speech was a wonderful thing, yet when reading your posts i am now questioning that theory.

Yes I will add my ??? marks to. Statements like this do nothing for any healing process providing the healer can prove his mettle which well in this case is not evident. When there is poor government involved its always good to cast aspersions at others. It keeps the minds in the  middle muddled. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by elgordo38

[DriveByTrucker]

2 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Yes all the left has to do is wave the Hitler card and they get what they want. What the people don't realize is the liberals have become the fascists.

Maybe "people" don't realize this (besides you of course), because "people" actually know the definition of a liberal and that of a fascist? But besides, aren't you actually the one "waving the Hitler card" here with your ridiculous statement? Are you left?

[dick dasterdly]

23 minutes ago, DriveByTrucker said:

Maybe "people" don't realize this (besides you of course), because "people" actually know the definition of a liberal and that of a fascist? But besides, aren't you actually the one "waving the Hitler card" here with your ridiculous statement? Are you left?

Agree entirely about everyone having lost the definition of left/right/communist etc.

 

FWIW, I'm left-wing and liberal - but understand entirely why brexit/Trump happened.

 

Its one of those odd things that those 'left behind' largely voted for both brexit and Trump. Of course you'd think people in this situation would be left-wing, but they finally realised that neither the left or right wing were looking out for them and so voted against the politicians/experts' advice in the hope of change.

 

Will the same happen in the German elections?  We don't yet know, but it will be interesting to find out.

Edited February 6, 2017 by dick dasterdly

[canuckamuck]

20 minutes ago, DriveByTrucker said:

Maybe "people" don't realize this (besides you of course), because "people" actually know the definition of a liberal and that of a fascist? But besides, aren't you actually the one "waving the Hitler card" here with your ridiculous statement? Are you left?

Oh yes it seems far fetched, considering the definition of fascism is extreme right wing. But The left is the establishment now, so keeping to their ideology is a new kind of conservatism. And they are fantastically intolerant to alternate viewpoints (tolerance to other opinions used to be part of the definition of a liberal). Whereas the right wing is just trying to claw back some sanity as we have gone way too far and our societies are about collapse. It will be the left wing that will draw us into another European war and the loony left will be as much as goosestepping right along. Up is down, black is white. 

[dick dasterdly]

2 minutes ago, canuckamuck said:

Oh yes it seems far fetched, considering the definition of fascism is extreme right wing. But The left is the establishment now, so keeping to their ideology is a new kind of conservatism. And they are fantastically intolerant to alternate viewpoints (tolerance to other opinions used to be part of the definition of a liberal). Whereas the right wing is just trying to claw back some sanity as we have gone way too far and our societies are about collapse. It will be the left wing that will draw us into another European war and the loony left will be as much as goosestepping right along. Up is down, black is white. 

Hang on a minute!

 

Its nearly (?) always right-wing/racist (loosely defined) ideologies that start wars?  Unless of course, you consider the old Russian version of 'communism' (in which the same rules applied, those at the top took wealth and power - whilst everyone else was there to serve them) to be the template for those with a left wing view point....

 

Nowadays, we have the US supported by a few European countries starting (or continuing...) wars that have resulted in fanatical hatred against the West by many Moslems - that's been unleashed on various European countries.

 

It will be interesting to find out how Merkel fares in the German elections.

 

I quite like her, but think she went badly wrong with her open immigration/refugee policies - that could only result in a major back-lash (in various countries) when things went horribly wrong.

[maximillian]

9 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

How is she not run out of every town by a pitchfork waving mob? What is wrong with people these days

Because my fellow countrymen are brainwashed stupid spineless sheep.

[Naam]

2 minutes ago, maximillian said:

Because my fellow countrymen are brainwashed stupid spineless sheep.

as a fellow contryman i wholeheartedly agree. that's why i left many years ago and avoided to be shorn.

[Naam]

48 minutes ago, dick dasterdly said:

It will be interesting to find out how Merkel fares in the German elections.

 

I quite like her, but think she went badly wrong with her open immigration/refugee policies - that could only result in a major back-lash (in various countries) when things went horribly wrong.

she made a big mistake but a leftist majority/government will be worse.

[elgordo38]

1 hour ago, dick dasterdly said:

Agree entirely about everyone having lost the definition of left/right/communist etc.

 

FWIW, I'm left-wing and liberal - but understand entirely why brexit/Trump happened.

 

Its one of those odd things that those 'left behind' largely voted for both brexit and Trump. Of course you'd think people in this situation would be left-wing, but they finally realised that neither the left or right wing were looking out for them and so voted against the politicians/experts' advice in the hope of change.

 

Will the same happen in the German elections?  We don't yet know, but it will be interesting to find out.

All I know is that your RIGHT and the voters will be LEFT out in the cold after the election is over. Oh what a revolting situation this is. Compliments of Al Bundy. 

Edited February 6, 2017 by elgordo38

[Usernames]

The choice between creamy peanut butter and crunchy peanut butter. What a democracy those Germans have.

[Naam]

2 hours ago, Usernames said:

The choice between creamy peanut butter and crunchy peanut butter. What a democracy those Germans have.

that applies more to the US and UK. alternatives do exist in Germany!

[Scott]

Off-topic post and reply removed.