- Looks like the balance of power in europe has shifted - Angela Merkel to take over the German Chancellorship.
So, the left(ish) anti-war, pro-France leader of Europe's largest economy is replaced with a right-wing, pro-war, pro-Busher who has hinted at trying to break up the old Franco-German axis within the EU - quite possibly by looking to the new member states to the east, what with Merkel's East German origins and recent attempts to befriend Putin and all. This could alter things significantly. Or it could all just collapse as soon as the cobbled-together coalition falls apart and leave Germany impotent and unstable for a while - a tad early to say... especially as under the terms of the deal four of the major ministries - foreign, finance, justice and labour - will remain under the control of the SPD. All very interesting...
%20sits%20in%20her%20limousine%20as%20she%20arrives%20for%20a%20party%20leaders%20meeting%20in%20Berlin%20October%2010,%202005.%20Germany's%20conservatives%20have%20reached%20a%20deal%20with%20the%20Social%20Democrats%20(SPD)%20under%20which%20conservative%20leader%20Angela%20Merkel%20will%20become%20the%20country's%20next%20chancellor,%20German%20media%20reports%20said%20on%20Monday.%20REUTERS/Fabrizio%20Bensch){kind=link}
3 Comments:
So... what you're saying is she's just the figure-head of the government, with very little, if any, actual power...
At this stage I still have no idea. I can't see how they can possibly make it work, considering all the policy clashes. Only thing I can think is that they'll divide policy areas between the two groupings and ne'er the twain shall meet. Merkel will have power, but not the full power of a head of state. But I can't see how they can possibly make that work considering the fundamental disagreements they've got in so many areas...
There's a pretty fair chance that this coalition won't pass the SPD conferenece vote. All (i.e. two) of the SPD voters I've spoken to think that because the "leftish" parties SPD/Greens/Die Linke.PDS have an absolute majority, Schroeder shouldn't cave and would vote against a "Grand Coalition with Merkel as Chancellorette.
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