Germany’s two governing establishment parties, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic party (SPD) on Sunday night both plummeted to the worst Berlin result in their parties’ histories, while both leftwing Die Linke and anti-immigrant Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) enjoyed impressive gains.
Advertisement
Rather than repeat her mantra of “Wir schaffen das”, or “we can do this”, on the migrant crisis, Merkel said she did not like using the catchphrase anymore.
Merkel indicated that she was willing to offer an olive branch to the CDU’s Bavaria-only sister-party, which is part of her government at the national level together with the Social Democrats.
Petry suggested that Alternative for Germany would be prepared to take on government responsibility from 2021 if it gets sufficient backing from voters.
“I take my share of the responsibility that lies with me as party chairwoman and chancellor”, said Merkel, sounding the most conciliatory she has in more than a decade in office in a shift away from a previously robust defense of her migrant policy.
“We are firmly convinced that we will end next year with a double-digit result, ” he said.
What teens need most from their parents.
According to The Telegraph, for many Germans, Berlin is emblematic of their country’s rise from the ashes of the Second World War and the Cold War and is inextricably linked with modern Germany’s reputation for tolerance and openness.
The Social Democrats, while still the strongest party in Berlin, lost even more support, showing a 7 percent falloff.
Merkel pledged to work harder to address people’s concerns, particularly on migrants.
Sunday’s results indicate a growing polarization in Germany, with voters turning to left-wing and far-right parties.
According to Diederich, some former CSU supporters chose to support right-wing populist party Alternative for Germany because they wanted “to protest the coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats” and its politics. It is now represented in 10 of the country’s 16 state parliaments.
The chancellor’s Christian Democrats (CDU) slid to their lowest level since 1990 in the Berlin election in a result blamed on her handling of the migration crisis.
Merkel meanwhile, after suffering a stinging loss to the AfD in another regional poll two weeks ago, will face further pressure “to explain her political strategy”, Gero Neugebauer of Berlin’s Free University told the Handelsblatt business daily.
Advertisement
CDU and SPD remained the two leading parties, but the coalition may be threatened by the loss of votes. After the AfD took nearly 21 percent of the vote on September 4 in the rural eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, it found less backing in the more diverse capital of 3.5 million, though it did win its first seats on the city council.
