2013 Elections in Germany

[ag]

Well, it's lead by a woman who had her first oppositional thought on november 10th 1989.

You have access to her pre Nov. 10 thoughts? Otherwise, this sounds merely anti-Ossi

As (mandatory) part of her PhD, she prepared an essay on "Socialist way of life". During her time at the East German Academy of Science, she was member of the Academy's FDJ chapter and in charge of "culture, agitation and propaganda".
I don't blame her for this - this was almost 30 years ago, and probably part what of what you had to do to promote your career then. I rather have problems with people from abroad coming up with 30 years old stories and trying to apply them to German politics today.

I lived in the Eastern bloc back at the time - you don't have to explain those things to me. A human being had to live, and not everybody can be a hero. In fact, the dissidents, heroic and deserving all respect they may be, are rarely successful politicians, as politics and dissidence call for very different personalities and skills.

[eric82oslo]

FDP and AfD both at 4.8

Any chance that the threshold might be lowered at some point?

It's a travesty against the idea of democracy itself that more than 16% of the people's voices are not to be heard at all. That's almost one in every six voter.

I don't like AfD, but I certainly would have liked to see FDP and even the Piracy Party in the Bundestag.

[ag]

I don't blame her for this - this was almost 30 years ago, and probably part what of what you had to do to promote your career then.

Of course, parsons' children in the GDR weren't, usually, given the option to have careers (except the same one as their father).

Not even those sorts of careers - e.g., research and such? Would have made them a lot tougher than (post-war) USSR.

[Bacon King]

Still out:

Berlin
Berlin-Charlottenburg - Wilmersdorf
Berlin-Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg - Prenzlauer Berg Ost
Berlin-Lichtenberg

Bremen
Bremen II - Bremerhaven

Hamburg
Hamburg-Mitte

Hesse
Hochtaunus
Wiesbaden

Saxony
Erzgebirgskreis I

[minionofmidas]

I don't blame her for this - this was almost 30 years ago, and probably part what of what you had to do to promote your career then.

Of course, parsons' children in the GDR weren't, usually, given the option to have careers (except the same one as their father).

Not even those sorts of careers - e.g., research and such? Would have made them a lot tougher than (post-war) USSR.

At the time Merkel was of that age, they were usually denied university immatriculation.

[Bacon King]

SPD takes Hamburg-Eimsbuettel from CDU on 13 point swing from Greens

[Zanas]

And Linke still holding onto a 44,000 vote advance on Grünen for now. It's my own little suspense of the night. Even if it has no meaning whatsoever in the end.

[minionofmidas]

FDP and AfD both at 4.8

Any chance that the threshold might be lowered at some point?

Never say never (especially with Merkel ) but so far the CDU would rather die than give up the threshold. And the SPD lets the CDU do the defending but rather likes it as well, of course. That said, they've (largely?) disappeared from local elections over the past decade or so - thanks largely to the courts. It is now legal doctrine that a threshold is impermissible where the executive does not depend on parliamentary support.

It's a travesty against the idea of democracy itself that more than 16% of the people's voices are not to be heard at all. That's almost one in every six voter.
[/quote]I agree with you.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

SPD takes Hamburg-Eimsbuettel from CDU on 13 point swing from Greens

The SPD massively underperformed there last time because of a messy factional deselection. IIRC the winning SPD candidate this time was the victim of that deselection.

[minionofmidas]

Yes, yes he is. Doublechecking that made me be ninja'd by you.

[minionofmidas]

Saxony
turnout 69.7 (+4.7, woah)
CDU 42.6 (+7.1) Left 20.0 (-4.5) SPD 14.6 (0) AfD 6.8 Greens 4.9 (-1. NPD 3.3 (-0.7) FDP 3.1 (-10.2)
This is how they roll... be vaguely surprised the SPD has more than twice the AfD's vote. CDU holds all direct seats o/c.

[ag]

I don't blame her for this - this was almost 30 years ago, and probably part what of what you had to do to promote your career then.

Of course, parsons' children in the GDR weren't, usually, given the option to have careers (except the same one as their father).

Not even those sorts of careers - e.g., research and such? Would have made them a lot tougher than (post-war) USSR.

At the time Merkel was of that age, they were usually denied university immatriculation.

Proper English would be "matriculation".

Do you have stats? There is a difference between: "were discriminated against/frequently denied admission unfairly" and "were in general not allowed to study." The former would be consistent with, e.g., the Soviets. The latter would be substantially tougher, at least, than the post-war Soviet policy. 

In any case, in the absence of more direct evidence, I am still taking a strong exception to your implicit accusation of Stasi collaboration. Considering how heinous that would be, making such accusations without cause is, in my book, an extremely gross offence.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

And last time's closest constituency (in the double digits) is also in: Brigitte Zypries (SPD) extends her lead to 2.4 percentage points in Darmstadt.

An appropriately discordant result, amirite?

[Middle-aged Europe]

The FDP's reaction to hearing the election results :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np9tBI7_nq8

[minionofmidas]

In any case, in the absence of more direct evidence, I am still taking a strong exception to your implicit accusation of Stasi collaboration. Considering how heinous that would be, making such accusations without cause is, in my book, an extremely gross offence.

Ah, that's a misunderstanding. I never meant to make such a claim (well, apart from 'having had contact with' which I seem to recall hearing something about but anyways means nothing). The word was not my own.

[ag]

In any case, in the absence of more direct evidence, I am still taking a strong exception to your implicit accusation of Stasi collaboration. Considering how heinous that would be, making such accusations without cause is, in my book, an extremely gross offence.

Ah, that's a misunderstanding. I never meant to make such a claim (well, apart from 'having had contact with' which I seem to recall hearing something about but anyways means nothing). The word was not my own.

You called CDU "Stasi party" based on Merkel´s leadership and clearly insinuated that she did something bad in order to be admitted into the university - something that, based on her parentage normally she would be denied. Didn´t you?

[minionofmidas]

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
list vote Left 25.1 (+0.1) SPD 24.0 (+3. Greens 20.8 (-6.6, wtf?) CDU 15.4 (+3.5) Pirates 5.8 (-0.2) AfD 2.8 FDP 2.2 (-4.0) PARTEI 1.9
direct vote Ströbele 39.9 (-6. SPD 18.0 (+1.3) and second place

[minionofmidas]

In any case, in the absence of more direct evidence, I am still taking a strong exception to your implicit accusation of Stasi collaboration. Considering how heinous that would be, making such accusations without cause is, in my book, an extremely gross offence.

Ah, that's a misunderstanding. I never meant to make such a claim (well, apart from 'having had contact with' which I seem to recall hearing something about but anyways means nothing). The word was not my own.

You called CDU "Stasi party" based on Merkel´s leadership and clearly insinuated that she did something bad in order to be admitted into the university - something that, based on her parentage normally she would be denied. Didn´t you?

Actually, no, but when I read your last post I noticed that it could easily be taken that way.
She was given preferential treatment on account of her father's deeds, not any of her own. Sorry.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Any election in which Libertarian-esque parties go down in flames is acceptable to me.

[ag]

Did her father do anything immoral - or just happened to be a leftist Christian, usable for that reason by the regime?

[Franknburger]

And Linke still holding onto a 44,000 vote advance on Grünen for now. It's my own little suspense of the night. Even if it has no meaning whatsoever in the end.

Hamburg-Mitte will close that gap by 5,000 votes - won't be enough.

To add to the disappointment: Grüne lost St. Pauli to SPD and Linke (SPD 25.5, Linke 23.8, Grüne 23.0), St. Georg to SPD and CDU (SPD 28.1, CDU 21.9, Grüne 20.0), Ottensen to SPD (SPD 31.2, Grüne 25.0), as well as Eimsbüttel proper (SPD 31.4, Grüne 23.9). .The only quarter the Grüne could hold was Sternschanze (27.1%, SPD and Linke each 24.4%).

It is a bit of consolation that in St. Pauli Die PARTEI came in right with  AfD (both 3.1%).

[Velasco]

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg
list vote Left 25.1 (+0.1) SPD 24.0 (+3. Greens 20.8 (-6.6, wtf?) CDU 15.4 (+3.5) Pirates 5.8 (-0.2) AfD 2.8 FDP 2.2 (-4.0) PARTEI 1.9
direct vote Ströbele 39.9 (-6. SPD 18.0 (+1.3) and second place

At least Ströbele holds comfortably the seat. May I suppose that SPD gained some ground in Kreuzberg and Die Linke in Friedrichsain or isn't that constituency so dual? How Prenzlauer Berg East vote?

[minionofmidas]

Hesse
turnout 73.2 (-0.6)
CDU 39.2 (+7.0) SPD 28.8 (+3.2) Greens 9.9 (-2.1) Left 6.0 (-2.6) AfD 5.6 FDP 5.6 (-11.0)

Bremen
turnout 68.8 (-1.5)
SPD 35.7 (+5.4) CDU 29.3 (+5.4) Greens 12.1 (-3.3) Left 10.1 (-4.2) AfD 3.7 FDP 3.4 (-7.2)

Did her father do anything immoral - or just happened to be a leftist Christian, usable for that reason by the regime?

He wasn't any kind of leftist Christian before he joined their payroll... (In later years, the government propped up an ultra-pro-regime church "opposition" against the church leadership that was more or less under their control, but not in their pocket, and of course against the actual opposition that that leadership had to contend with. He edited its newsletter. Quite hilarious really. Also essentially harmless, of course.)

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Sooo... with everything in (sort of), what's the seat count?

[minionofmidas]

Berlin
the federal page claims it's all in but is not displaying the result.
the state page claims it's not all in yet but has this near-complete result
CDU 28.4 (+5.6) SPD 24.6 (+4.4) Left 18.5 (-1.7) Greens 12.3 (-5.2) AfD 4.9 Pirates 3.6 (+0.2) FDP 3.5 (-8.0)
Four parties win direct seats

Hamburg
turnout 69.6 (-1.7) SPD 32.4 (+5.0) CDU 32.2 (+4.3) Greens 12.6 (-3.0) Left 8.8 (-2.4) FDP 4.8 (-8.4) AfD 4.1
SPD takes five out of six direct seats.