RRI Live!

Listen to Radio Romania International Live

Politics after the elections

An outlook of Germany's political prospects following last months elections

Politics after the elections
Politics after the elections

, 04.10.2013, 12:57

As the first among equals in the EU, Germany has the most influence among European Union countries. Its large population and sound economy in the middle of a continent crippled by the crisis, as well as its consistency in matters of foreign policy grant Germany weight in difficult European decisions. In a few of these cases, says the press, the decisions were postponed until after the results of last month’s elections in Germany.



Some of these decisions are leverage for the banking union, extending aid to Greece past the present rescue package, and a strategy for Ireland to emerge from its own financial difficulty. Inevitably, the elections will echo beyond Germany’s borders. The Christian Democrats won 42% of the vote, beating their main rivals, the Social Democrats, who only won 26%. The government coalition has not had complete success, however, because Merkel’s traditional partners, the Liberal Democrats, have not managed to get over 5% of the vote, and as a result have not made it to Parliament. Political analyst Cristian Parvulescu explains:



Cristian Parvulescu: “This is no surprise. Everyone expected such a result, especially since one week ahead of federal elections there had been state elections in Bavaria, where the allies of the Christian Democratic Union, the Social Christian Union, had also scored historically, while the Liberal Democratic Party suffered a historical defeat, which anticipated what was about to happen one week later. At that point it was obvious for German pundits that the situation was clear-cut. In fact, the only unknown in the elections in Germany was who Angela Merkel was going to form an alliance with, the Liberal Democrats or the Social Democrats. If the Liberal Democrats were not to make it to Parliament, and they didn’t, then a grand coalition with the Social Democrats was predictable.”



Professor Parvulescu anticipates that the so-called ‘grand coalition’ of the two heaviweights on the German political stage will be inevitably asymmetrical. Social Democratic leader Peter Steinbruck resigned right after the defeat, creating a power vacuum inside the coalition. The Social Democratic junior partner cannot influence the decisions of the future cabinet, especially given that its head has already adopted some of their campaign themes.



Cristian Parvulescu: “Angela Merkel has quite some room for maneuver, which is wide to the extent that the Social Democrats did not manage a good score, even though they gained in comparison to four years ago. At the same time, once they are part of the government, they will be very limited in action and will not be able to influence government policy. This does not mean that austerity will continue in Europe. Angela Merkel had already announced some changes and measures, such as the introduction of a minimum wage, which many of the German poor had been expecting for a long time, and that would have already occurred without a grand coalition, because, paradoxically, even though Germany is a highly developed country, it has never had a minimum wage.”



The green party, voted by about one tenth of Germans, and which is now the third political faction in Germany, said they were available as a governing partner alongside the Christian Democrats. Cristian Parvulescu, however, is sure that such a cabinet is less probable:



Cristian Parvulescu: “This alliance with the Greens does not have a lot to say, as long as Angela Merkel has already made the decision to shut down nuclear plants and resort to other resources after the Fukushima disaster two years ago, which worried the public in Germany a lot.”



At the same time, according to a two-decade-old formula, the French-German leadership of the European Union readies for a fresh start. According to Philippe Ricard, European policy commentator for Le Monde, the most important issue coming up will be harmonizing the new governing coalition in Berlin with an old Conservative chancellor, voted once again by popular vote, and the socialist administration in Paris, whose president, Francois Hollande, and his government, are losing popularity fast. The European Union and its ability to have a say in global affairs depend on French-German dialog.

Klaus Iohannis and Maia Sandu (photo: presidency.ro)
The Future Starts Today Friday, 01 November 2024

The Republic of Moldova Closer to the EU

The citizens of the Republic of Moldova voted, on October 20, in favor of amending the country’s Constitution to support its accession to the...

The Republic of Moldova Closer to the EU
Sursa foto: pixabay.com
The Future Starts Today Friday, 18 October 2024

October, the European month of cybersecurity

The European Cyber Security Month is an annual campaign that promotes awareness and best practices in online cyber security, providing information on...

October, the European month of cybersecurity
Ana Aslan
The Future Starts Today Friday, 11 October 2024

The Pace of Aging

“Youth is about optimism, well-being, and a goal to fight for” – this is the creed that underpinned the work of Ana Aslan, one of...

The Pace of Aging
(foto: unsplash.com)
The Future Starts Today Friday, 04 October 2024

Major plan for the re-industrialization of Romania

For the first time in the last 35 years, a major plan for the re-industrialization of the country was announced in Romania. With a value of 3 billion...

Major plan for the re-industrialization of Romania
The Future Starts Today Friday, 20 September 2024

Energy for the future

    Over the past few years, the European Union has managed to withstand critical risks to its security of energy supply, regain control...

Energy for the future
The Future Starts Today Friday, 13 September 2024

Cyberspace vulnerabilities

More than 8.5 million computers running Windows software were affected by the world’s largest Internet outage in July this year. The figure...

Cyberspace vulnerabilities
The Future Starts Today Friday, 09 August 2024

Good Immunity as a Prevention Measure

Defined as the body’s ability to defend itself against viruses, bacteria and parasites, immunity plays a crucial role in maintaining health....

Good Immunity as a Prevention Measure
The Future Starts Today Friday, 02 August 2024

Disinformation Online

Based on seven key principles, UNESCO’s plan to combat the rampant spread of online disinformation and hate speech aims to protect the...

Disinformation Online

Partners

Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român Muzeul Național al Țăranului Român
Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS Liga Studentilor Romani din Strainatate - LSRS
Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online Modernism | The Leading Romanian Art Magazine Online
Institului European din România Institului European din România
Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti Institutul Francez din România – Bucureşti
Muzeul Național de Artă al României Muzeul Național de Artă al României
Le petit Journal Le petit Journal
Radio Prague International Radio Prague International
Muzeul Național de Istorie a României Muzeul Național de Istorie a României
ARCUB ARCUB
Radio Canada International Radio Canada International
Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti” Muzeul Național al Satului „Dimitrie Gusti”
SWI swissinfo.ch SWI swissinfo.ch
UBB Radio ONLINE UBB Radio ONLINE
Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl Strona główna - English Section - polskieradio.pl
creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti creart - Centrul de Creație Artă și Tradiție al Municipiului Bucuresti
italradio italradio
Institutul Confucius Institutul Confucius
BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți BUCPRESS - știri din Cernăuți

Affiliates

Euranet Plus Euranet Plus
AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters AIB | the trade association for international broadcasters
Digital Radio Mondiale Digital Radio Mondiale
News and current affairs from Germany and around the world News and current affairs from Germany and around the world
Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona Comunità radiotelevisiva italofona

Providers

RADIOCOM RADIOCOM
Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company Zeno Media - The Everything Audio Company