German Elections & Politics

[Middle-aged Europe]

Baden-Württemberg: FDP said no to coalition with Greens/SPD. This leaves Greens/CDU as the only option for a governing coalition in that state.

SPD/FDP/Greens and CDU/SPD/Greens talks will go forward in RLP and ST respectively.

[Famous Mortimer]

I'll ask again but because no one answered. What does the FDP stand for now? Are they still libertarian? Did they move back to being left liberals? Why did they come back in the polls to win seats?

[Middle-aged Europe]

I'll ask again but because no one answered. What does the FDP stand for now? Are they still libertarian? Did they move back to being left liberals? Why did they come back in the polls to win seats?

I don't think the FDP's general political position changed that much. What they tried is to be more than just about "lower taxes for everyone!", expanding their portfolia so to speak. It also helps them that their current chairman Christian Lindner is arguably one of the most charismatic politicians around today. And they also seem to profit from protest votes... people who are unable to bring themselves to hold their nose and vote AfD.

[President Johnson]

I'll ask again but because no one answered. What does the FDP stand for now? Are they still libertarian? Did they move back to being left liberals? Why did they come back in the polls to win seats?

They're socialy liberal (pro gay marriage, pro european,...) but economicly liberatarian. They're certainly not left liberal.

[DL]

I'll ask again but because no one answered. What does the FDP stand for now? Are they still libertarian? Did they move back to being left liberals? Why did they come back in the polls to win seats?

They're socialy liberal (pro gay marriage, pro european,...) but economicly liberatarian. They're certainly not left liberal.

In other words they are the German equivalent of Bill or Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama then!

[RodPresident]

Would Kretschmann be a good candidate for Chancellor for a common front Greens/SPD to defeat Merkel?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

There are some profoundly stupid people in senior posts within the SPD (alas) but even they would not be stupid enough to agree to that (in the impossible event it were proposed).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Winning party with percentage lead show, etc. Party vote maps probably tomorrow. And then the other states.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Though while I'm at it, one I made earlier: the Frankfurt City Council elections...

[Middle-aged Europe]

Would Kretschmann be a good candidate for Chancellor for a common front Greens/SPD to defeat Merkel?

Not gonna happen.

The Greens will hold a primary-like contest this fall to determine a female and a male lead candidate for the 2017 Bundestag election. Kretschmann is most likely not gonna run though. Candidates so far are the Bundestag caucus leaders Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Anton Hofreiter, Schleswig-Holstein deputy premier Robert Habeck, and (as of now unofficially, but you can assume that he'll run) party chairman Cem Özdemir.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

[Beezer]

Interesting north-south divide. What's the explanation behind it?

[Tender Branson]

Interesting north-south divide. What's the explanation behind it?

The North is closer to urban Berlin (I guess not few are commuting to work there) and the South closer to Saxony (which is AfD epicenter).

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Interesting north-south divide. What's the explanation behind it?

Well the south is basically a toxic wasteland isn't it (thanks Communism!) and gave the DVU its best showings back in 1998. Actually Bitterfeld was the best constituency for both DVU then and AfD now.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Former foreign minister (2009-13) and longtime FDP chairman (2001-11) Guido Westerwelle died today, aged 54.

Shortly after leaving office, he had been diagnosed with leukemia and was struggling with it ever since. While I was not a huge a fan of him politically, that was a pretty cruel fate he suffered.

He'll be remembered for being largely reponsible for both the FDP biggest electoral success and the party's biggest defeat in 2009 and 2013 respectively. He was also the first openly gay foreign minister of Germany.

[Yeahsayyeah]

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I don't think that it has anything to do with the "proximity to Berlin" or much with the "proximity to Saxony". Why should Berlin have influence over the Altmark and Börde regions? The southern parts have not been part of Saxony for 200 years (some never have, by the way).

The south of Sachsen-Anhalt has been one of the most industrialised regions of Germany until 1990 (coal and other mining, heavy and chemical industry). So deinstrualisation after 1990 has hit in the hardest possible way and this fosters brain drain and dissatisfaction of the leftovers. The north seems more complicated. It is generally more rural and agricultural, but had been more friendly to the SPD in the beginning, which was probably because of Reinhold Höppner, who had been an important figure in the Evangelical Church of the Church province of Saxony (which means the Prussian province of Saxony that is now part of Saxony-Anhalt). But this seems to have vanished over time and those voters probably went to the CDU. And if proximity plays a role, its probably the proximity to the West, where the jobs are.

[mvd10]

Former foreign minister (2009-13) and longtime FDP chairman (2001-11) Guido Westerwelle died today, aged 54.

Shortly after leaving office, he had been diagnosed with leukemia and was struggling with it ever since. While I was not a huge a fan of him politically, that was a pretty cruel fate he suffered.

He'll be remembered for being largely reponsible for both the FDP biggest electoral success and the party's biggest defeat in 2009 and 2013 respectively. He was also the first openly gay foreign minister of Germany.

RIP

[Filuwaúrdjan]

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

man my district (bruchsal) really sticks out like a sore thumb

[Kingpoleon]

Former foreign minister (2009-13) and longtime FDP chairman (2001-11) Guido Westerwelle died today, aged 54.

Shortly after leaving office, he had been diagnosed with leukemia and was struggling with it ever since. While I was not a huge a fan of him politically, that was a pretty cruel fate he suffered.

He'll be remembered for being largely reponsible for both the FDP biggest electoral success and the party's biggest defeat in 2009 and 2013 respectively. He was also the first openly gay foreign minister of Germany.

Remarkable in that the entire German political spectrum seems to have come together to hate him for reasons that on the surface at least had nothing to do with his sexuality.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

That's not really as contradictory as you seem (?) to be implying given the circumstances.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Former foreign minister (2009-13) and longtime FDP chairman (2001-11) Guido Westerwelle died today, aged 54.

Shortly after leaving office, he had been diagnosed with leukemia and was struggling with it ever since. While I was not a huge a fan of him politically, that was a pretty cruel fate he suffered.

He'll be remembered for being largely reponsible for both the FDP biggest electoral success and the party's biggest defeat in 2009 and 2013 respectively. He was also the first openly gay foreign minister of Germany.

Remarkable in that the entire German political spectrum seems to have come together to hate him for reasons that on the surface at least had nothing to do with his sexuality.

It had nothing to do with his sexuality. It was more of a style-over-substance thing. Simply put, he was great at campgaining, but sucked at governing. Hence 15% in the 2009 election and 5% in the 2013 election.

[President Johnson]

Would Kretschmann be a good candidate for Chancellor for a common front Greens/SPD to defeat Merkel?

Not gonna happen.

The Greens will hold a primary-like contest this fall to determine a female and a male lead candidate for the 2017 Bundestag election. Kretschmann is most likely not gonna run though. Candidates so far are the Bundestag caucus leaders Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Anton Hofreiter, Schleswig-Holstein deputy premier Robert Habeck, and (as of now unofficially, but you can assume that he'll run) party chairman Cem Özdemir.

No, Kretschmann is happy to govern Baden Württemberg. And it looks like he will form a coalition with the CDU now.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

is stuttgart i the only district where die linke finished ahead of afd?