2009 State and Federal elections in Germany

[minionofmidas]

Kohl ran in Ludwigshafen, where he was from. IIRC he rarely won it, but certainly did in 1990.

[Franzl]

We're having a debate at school in about 30 minutes!

All 5 parties are represented, most of them are sending their constituency candidates, and we have our current direct MP Patricia Lips attending as well.

And, what did you discuss ?

Was actually a pretty good debate....much more exciting and entertaining than the TV debate between Merkel and Steinmeier.

Lips held her ground and presented her work pretty well (at least as well as anyone in the coalition).

The woman from the Left was such an awful bitch....she should learn some manners and correct word usage.

I was actually positively surprised by the Green woman....she seemed pretty competent and intelligent, even though I didn't like much of her content.

The SPD candidate was boring and didn't say anything out of the ordinary.


The main topics were the economy (globalization, taxes, education funding), and environmental protection (CO2, nuclear power, Frankfurt airport), and at the end, a short question about whether the mission in Afghanistan is legitimate and whether it should be continued.

You can guess their answers on most things though

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Kohl ran in Ludwigshafen, where he was from. IIRC he rarely won it, but certainly did in 1990.

...which says something about placing a large emphasis on high-profile candidates, doesn't it. Random curiosity is curious to learn where other Chancellor candidates ran .

[minionofmidas]

Kohl in the Bundestag

You must be logged in to read this quote.

1255 is just a running number in an alphabetical dictionary of everybody who served in the first 13 Bundestage. April 3rd is his birthday, of course. So Kohl joined the Bundestag in 1976 (as opposition leader - he had of course been state pm in Rhineland-Pfalz before that) but was first directly elected in 1990. If the document (a pdf on the Bundestag website that has been linked to from the same place there since when I first started using the internet) would be constantly updated, it'd also list 14 RHPF. He won by .1% in 1994, btw.

[minionofmidas]

Kohl ran in Ludwigshafen, where he was from. IIRC he rarely won it, but certainly did in 1990.

...which says something about placing a large emphasis on high-profile candidates, doesn't it. Random curiosity is curious to learn where other Chancellor candidates ran .

I'll make a list...

[minionofmidas]

Problem is that the document doesn't say where a constituency of a particular number was.
Konrad Adenauer was always directly elected, in NRW 10 in 1949, in 69 (which happens to be the 10th constituency in NRW) in 53-61, and in 63 (which was then the 11th constituency in the state) in 65. This is probably either Bonn or a rural/suburban constituency near Bonn and/or Cologne.I typed the previous sentence before thinking of checking Wikipedia. It is Bonn.

Kurt Schumacher was elected in the 19th constituency of Lower Saxony in 1949. Wikipedia identifies that as Hanover South.

Erich Ollenhauer was elected in NRW (apparently somewhere on the Westphalian side of the Ruhr) in 1949, but in Lower Saxony the next three times - he seems to have taken over Schumacher's old seat, in fact. He too was always elected directly.

Willy Brandt served as one of West Berlin's indirectly elected non-voting MP's in 49-57 and was again elected as such, but served only for a number of days, in 1961. (He was mayor of West Berlin from 57 to 66, after all.) From 1969 until his death, he was elected via the NRW state list, and thus never won a direct seat. Wikipedia doesn't say whether he contested one.

Ludwig Erhard won Ulm six times in a row before losing in 1972 but got in via the state list. It's not clear whether he also lost in 1976 (sounds odd. There was that link with old constituency maps once, I ought to check that) or ran only via the state list that year. Actually, it's not clear what his connection to Ulm was. He certainly never lived there, or anywhere near. (Even more absurdly, it seems he never formally was a member of the CDU - but was the party's chairman for a year after Adenauer's death.) Like Brandt and Ollenhauer, he remained an MP until the day he died.

Kurt Georg Kiesinger held whatever the last numbered direct constituency in Württemberg-Hohenzollern and later Baden-Württemberg, was until 1959, and a different constituency in the same state in 69 and 72. He too was elected via the state list in 1976, retiring in 1980.

Rainer Barzel held a direct seat in Westphalia somewhere from 1957 to 1976, but was elected via the state list in 1980 and 1983.

Helmut Schmidt served in the Bundestag from 53 to 62 and 65 to 87. He was a list MP in 53 and 65. His constituency number in 57 and 61 is the last in the state (Harburg?), later the second-to-last (Bergedorf? The current Bergedorf-Harburg constituency exists only since 2002.)

Franz Josef Strauß held rural Upper Bavarian seats (too lazy to wiki) from 1949 to 1978 when he semi-retired to become Prime Minister of Bavaria. He must have been elected in 1980 - he was after all the chancellor-candidate that year - but never took the seat. Bizarrely, he was elected as a state list MP in 1987 and nominally served for a number of days.

Hans Jochen Vogel was elected via the Bavaria state list in 72, won a direct seat in Munich in 76 and 80, resigned it in 81, then was a non-voting West Berlin MP from 83 to 90 and a Berlin list MP from 90 to 94. Flitted like the bird he is named for, that yin.

Johannes Rau was never an MdB. I suppose he was elected one in 1987, though. (Wiki is silent on the matter.)

Oskar Lafontaine probably ran - probably won - in Saarbrücken I in 1990, but didn't take the seat. Bizarrely, he won it again and took it for a couple of days in 1994 (he was still state Prime Minister then. Wtf?) He won it again in 1998, and resigned the seat the day he also resigned from the cabinet. (Saarbrücken I used to include part of the city and some neighboring towns.) Of course, in 2005 he contested the new united Saarbrücken constituency for the Left and finished a very strong third. He was elected via the list though. This year, he is contesting only via the list. It seems the Left purposefully chose weak direct candidates in the state (in order that people split their vote), only one of whom is on the list at all.

Rudolf Scharping contested where he was from - the Montabaur constituency. He is from Lahnstein - in 94, 98 and 2002, winning only in 1998. Of course, he was in semi-retirement after the 2002 election, but stayed in Parliament until the term's end.

Gerhard Schröder was in the Bundestag from 1980 to 1986 and from 1998 to 2005 (not taking the seat he was reelected to.) He won one of the Hanover constituencies in 1980, probably lost the same seat in 1983. As Chancellor-candidate he always ran only via the state list. This was actually a little risky. There might well have been no list seats available in the state.

Edmund Stoiber too ran only for the Bavarian state list in 2002. And never took the seat, so just like Rau he has never been an MdB.

Angela Merkel has more or less randomly represented a constituency based around Rügen and Stralsund ever since 1990.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier is more or less randomly running in the constituency based around Brandenburg town, and also heading the Brandenburg state list, this year.

[Tender Branson]

Angela Merkel has more or less randomly represented a constituency based around Rügen and Stralsund ever since 1990.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier is more or less randomly running in the constituency based around Brandenburg town, and also heading the Brandenburg state list, this year.

Isn't she heading the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state list as well this year ?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Random Curiosity is very much pleased with that post

I knew the recent (ie; after 1998) ones, Schumacher and Adenauer and that's it. And lol @ Erhard.

[Tender Branson]

Latest Allensbach poll:

CDU/CSU: 35% (-1)
SPD: 24% (+1.5)
FDP: 13.5% (+1)
Left: 11.5% (-0.5)
Greens: 11% (-1)

Black-Yellow: 48.5%
Red-Red-Green: 46.5%

Only 65% of those polled are certain to vote on Sunday, another 16% consider voting.

Comparable polls in 2005 have shown 70% who are certain to vote.

[minionofmidas]

Angela Merkel has more or less randomly represented a constituency based around Rügen and Stralsund ever since 1990.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier is more or less randomly running in the constituency based around Brandenburg town, and also heading the Brandenburg state list, this year.

Isn't she heading the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state list as well this year ?

I would assume so; haven't checked.

[Tender Branson]

New Hamburg YouGov poll:

SPD: 29% (-10)
CDU: 28% (-1)
FDP: 14% (+5)
Greens: 13% (-2)
Left: 11% (+5)
Others: 5% (+3)

Merkel (CDU): 41%
Steinmeier (SPD): 33%

[freek]

Isn't she heading the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state list as well this year ?

Yes. http://www.cdu-mecklenburg-vorpommern.de/cdumv/1857/66/66/27016/design1.html

[Tender Branson]

Latest Info GmbH poll for the newspaper "Handelsblatt":

CDU/CSU: 34%
SPD: 27%
FDP: 12%
Left: 12%
Greens: 10%
Others: 5%

Red-Red-Green: 49%
Black-Yellow: 46%

Even Forsa is now showing the CDU-advantage at less than 10%:

CDU/CSU: 35%
SPD: 26%
FDP: 13%
Greens: 11%
Left: 10%
Others: 5%

Black-Yellow: 48%
Red-Red-Green: 47%

[Tender Branson]

NPD letter to immigrant politicians tells them to 'go home'

Just days before Germany's election, the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) have sent racist letters to politicians of multicultural background declaring they should leave the country, daily Der Tagesspiegel reported on Tuesday.

The two-page letters, formulated as “proclamations,” were sent to politicians’ home addresses and were meant to inform them of the “details of their trip home,” the paper reported.

The right-wing extremist NPD confirmed it sent the letters over the weekend, and while there was no return address, the party’s Berlin leader Jörg Hähnel is thought to be responsible for them. Berlin public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation into the letters for incitement of hatred.

According to Hähnel, more letters will soon arrive at the homes of other politicians with immigrant heritage. They are meant to sound official, informing recipients of how “foreigners will be returned to their homelands” based on a “five-point plan” that they should immediately undertake.

Green party politician Özcan Mutlu, who is of Turkish background, received one of the letters and told the paper that they were “cheap campaign rubbish,” of a kind he’s received from the NPD many times in the past.

“They still don’t understand that this country is our country too,” he said.

The NPD's Hähnel, whose internal nickname is reportedly Hähnchen, or “chicken,” has had trouble with the law before in 2007 and 2008, when he was fined for anti-immigration comments and saying he approved of the murder of communists Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1919.

http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20090922-22069.html

[Tender Branson]

Al-Qaeda video threat to Germany

Security has been tightened across Germany after the emergence of al-Qaeda videos threatening attacks if troops are not withdrawn from Afghanistan.

Germany goes to the polls on Sunday but only one party, the Left, is in favour of an immediate pullout.

Germany has over 4,000 troops serving in Afghanistan, based in the north which has seen less violence than in Helmand and other southern provinces.

But 35 have died and a recent poll showed 55% of Germans wanted a pullout.

At railway stations and airports all over Germany extra police are on patrol, walking in pairs and toting machine-pistols.

It is a highly visible precaution being taken after the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) assessed as credible a number of al-Qaeda threat videos emerging - in German - on the internet in the last few days.



"In a democracy," says the speaker on one video, "only the people can order their soldiers to return home."

"But if the German people decide in favour of continuing the war they will have handed down their own sentence."

Al-Qaeda's leadership takes a keen interest in Western public opinion and has shown itself adept at exploiting Western doubts.

The threat videos, made by al-Qaeda's media production arm, warn of an impending attack within two weeks of the elections if troops are not withdrawn.

Al-Qaeda's leadership may be hoping to repeat what happened in Spain's elections five years ago when multiple train bombings killed 191 people.

Soon afterwards, the Spanish government of Jose Maria Aznar, that had sent troops to Iraq, was defeated at the polls.

German political figures have reacted to the videos by denouncing al-Qaeda's attempts to dictate voter behaviour.

Newspaper editorials have also mocked the appearance of the speaker on the videos, a 32-year-old Moroccan-born German national and resident of Bonn.

Bekkay Harrach, who takes the nom-de-guerre of Abu Talha al-Almani, appears in an ill-fitting Western suit and tie with drooping, greasy hair and a pale face.

But his unprepossessing appearance may be deceptive.

Harrach, who studied laser technology in Germany, is believed to have travelled to wage violent jihad in the West Bank, Iraq and Waziristan.

He is reported to be on a list of around 100 German nationals thought to be a security threat and the authorities there are taking his warnings seriously.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8269995.stm

Is it "hip" these days for Al-Qaeda members to look and dress like Josh Groban ?

[Jens]

Al-Qaeda's leadership may be hoping to repeat what happened in Spain's elections five years ago when multiple train bombings killed 191 people.

Soon afterwards, the Spanish government of Jose Maria Aznar, that had sent troops to Iraq, was defeated at the polls.

Wasn't Aznar's defeat more related to his attempt to blame ETA for the bombings against all evidence?

[Franzl]

Latest Info GmbH poll for the newspaper "Handelsblatt":

CDU/CSU: 34%
SPD: 27%
FDP: 12%
Left: 12%
Greens: 10%
Others: 5%

Red-Red-Green: 49%
Black-Yellow: 46%

Even Forsa is now showing the CDU-advantage at less than 10%:

CDU/CSU: 35%
SPD: 26%
FDP: 13%
Greens: 11%
Left: 10%
Others: 5%

Black-Yellow: 48%
Red-Red-Green: 47%

Yep! Here we go!

[Tender Branson]

Hahaha ! Take a look at the Steini-Girl (the German version of the Obama girl):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfIBc5PG3LI

[big bad fab]

Latest Info GmbH poll for the newspaper "Handelsblatt":

CDU/CSU: 34%
SPD: 27%
FDP: 12%
Left: 12%
Greens: 10%
Others: 5%

Red-Red-Green: 49%
Black-Yellow: 46%

Even Forsa is now showing the CDU-advantage at less than 10%:

CDU/CSU: 35%
SPD: 26%
FDP: 13%
Greens: 11%
Left: 10%
Others: 5%

Black-Yellow: 48%
Red-Red-Green: 47%

Yep! Here we go!

Drop proportional representation everywhere and forever...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Latest Info GmbH poll for the newspaper "Handelsblatt":

CDU/CSU: 34%
SPD: 27%
FDP: 12%
Left: 12%
Greens: 10%
Others: 5%

Red-Red-Green: 49%
Black-Yellow: 46%

Even Forsa is now showing the CDU-advantage at less than 10%:

CDU/CSU: 35%
SPD: 26%
FDP: 13%
Greens: 11%
Left: 10%
Others: 5%

Black-Yellow: 48%
Red-Red-Green: 47%

Yep! Here we go!

Drop proportional representation everywhere and forever...

This that I support of.

And for Steini girl, damn, she is as credible as Steini. (though we can note the ability of the cameramen to shoot the breast...)

[Harry Hayfield]

What time do the polls close (CET)?

[Tender Branson]

What time do the polls close (CET)?

18:00 MEZ I guess.

[Tender Branson]

Does anyone know where you can find detailed numbers about eligible voters for every state, county and electoral district ?

The Bundeswahlleiter is very vague about it: "62.2 Mio. Germans are eligible to vote ..."

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Al-Qaeda's leadership may be hoping to repeat what happened in Spain's elections five years ago when multiple train bombings killed 191 people.

Soon afterwards, the Spanish government of Jose Maria Aznar, that had sent troops to Iraq, was defeated at the polls.

Wasn't Aznar's defeat more related to his attempt to blame ETA for the bombings against all evidence?

This is correct, but certainly isn't how the media in most countries chose to report it. Though, of course, Aznar wasn't actually seeking re-election. Weird election, that.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Al-Qaeda's leadership may be hoping to repeat what happened in Spain's elections five years ago when multiple train bombings killed 191 people.

Soon afterwards, the Spanish government of Jose Maria Aznar, that had sent troops to Iraq, was defeated at the polls.

Wasn't Aznar's defeat more related to his attempt to blame ETA for the bombings against all evidence?

This is correct, but certainly isn't how the media in most countries chose to report it. Though, of course, Aznar wasn't actually seeking re-election. Weird election, that.

To continue the Spain General elections 2004:

In France the average media reported it that way.