Merkel Hangs on as German Chancellor as her Party Loses Ground

Kerry Lear

9 years ago

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel will remain in her role after the weekend&rsquo&semi;s election in the next government, but her CDU-CSU (Conservative) Party had the worst election since 1949&period;&NewLine;The CDU-CSU saw a dramatic drop to 32 percent Sunday, versus the 38 percent in 2013&period; Its partner in a &&num;8220&semi;grand coalition,&&num;8221&semi; the Social Democrats saw a drop of 20&period;4 percent&period; This is the lowest in Germany since the first elections after World War II&period;&NewLine;While Merkel&rsquo&semi;s party saw massive losses, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party saw an impressive spike in support in Sunday&rsquo&semi;s elections&period;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;But with the biggest winner being the nationalist Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party &mdash&semi; more than tripling its support from four percent in &&num;8217&semi;13 to 13&period;5 percent Sunday &mdash&semi; it must be said that Vladimir Putin also emerged as a big winner in the Germany elections&period; The AfD has long advocated closer ties between Berlin and Moscow,&rdquo&semi; writes Newsmax&period;&NewLine;Even though the AfD has gained significant support with the German public, Merkel has made it clear that the AfD will play no role in her government&period;&NewLine;Although Merkel will remain as Germany&rsquo&semi;s government leader, the AfD, which gained massive support in reaction to Merkel&rsquo&semi;s open-door migrant policy, will evidently still have an impact&period;&NewLine;&&num;8220&semi;The AfD&&num;8217&semi;s showing and the seats they will hold in the Bundestag [parliament] will make a huge difference in rhetoric and psychology,&&num;8221&semi;&nbsp&semi;said Martin Klingst, senior editor of the German publication Die Ziet to Newsmax&period;&NewLine;As the AfD gains support, Merkel&rsquo&semi;s potential partners disagree on current issues, making her next four years even more difficult&period;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;Merkel made clear she still intended to serve a full four years as chancellor&period; But her next coalition could be her toughest yet with her only remaining potential partners, the business-friendly FDP and the pro-regulation Greens, at odds on issues from migrants to tax, the environment and Europe,&rdquo&semi; writes Reuters&period; &ldquo&semi;The FDP&rsquo&semi;s leader Christian Lindner set the stage for tricky talks, saying his party would not agree to a coalition with the conservatives and the Greens, dubbed &ldquo&semi;Jamaica&rdquo&semi; because the parties&rsquo&semi; colors mirror the country&rsquo&semi;s flag, at any price&period;&rdquo&semi;&nbsp&semi;&NewLine;Merkel&rsquo&semi;s win has also created a major upset in the currency markets&period;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;German chancellor Angela Merkel&&num;8217&semi;s underwhelming election victory has punctured the euro on currency markets today after&nbsp&semi;her path to power was complicated by the mainstream parties in Europe&&num;8217&semi;s engine room performing poorly in yesterday&&num;8217&semi;s vote,&rdquo&semi; writes The Telegraph&period; &ldquo&semi;Sterling has erased its post-Theresa May speech losses against the euro, rising 0&period;3pc, as far right party the AfD made a landmark breakthrough at the expense of Merkel&&num;8217&semi;s CDU&period;&rdquo&semi;&nbsp&semi;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;The weak result could make Angela Merkel a lame duck much faster than international observers and financial markets think,&rdquo&semi; said Carsten Brzeski, ING economist&period; &nbsp&semi;&NewLine;Most reports deemed Merkel&rsquo&semi;s win as expected, but disappointing&period;&NewLine;&ldquo&semi;It has been a long and bruising election campaign&period; Mrs Merkel may have won the election but it does not feel like much of a victory,&rdquo&semi; writes Reuters&period; &ldquo&semi;This election will go down in the history books for two reasons&period; Angela Merkel may have won a fourth term but it is her worst-ever general election result&period; And right-wing nationalists are now part of the German establishment&period;&rdquo&semi;&NewLine;Author&rsquo&semi;s note&colon; Merkel&rsquo&semi;s past mistakes did not go unnoticed&period; The influx of migrants made Germany a much more dangerous and chaotic place to live&period; The damage has already been done and has led to the rise of AfD, which could be her party&rsquo&semi;s ultimate undoing&period;&NewLine;&nbsp&semi;&NewLine;