Despite securing another four years as the country’s leader, her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), lost a considerable amount of power-it won 32.9 percent, down from 41.5 percent since the last election in 2013. Or will this coalition lead to Merkel not being able to push through anything without a backlash from her opposition? On the face of it, Germans have opted for a safe pair of hands.
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She said the AfD, as an “anarchistic party”, could be successful in opposition but would not be able to offer voters a credible option as a government.
But they have already ruled out another coalition with Merkel. This is, in fact, the worst performance by the conservatives under her leadership.
Merkel’s conservative CDU-CSU bloc has begun coalition talks with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens but the parties have different views on a range of issues including migration, energy, taxation and Europe.
The election marked a breakthrough for the anti-Muslim Alternative for Germany (AfD), which with 12.6 percent became the third-strongest party and vowed to “go after” Merkel over her migrant and refugee policy. We need more like her, and fewer of the so-called men who seem intent on making the world more unsafe.
The real news coming out of that contest wasn’t the overall victor, but rather the shifts in support for the rest of the players and the shrinking of Merkel’s ruling coalition. “But, above all else, with good policy”.
In rhetoric that critics would compare to the Nazi-era, AfD co-founder Alexander Gauland told supporters that Germany belongs to the German people. The Greens said they were “deeply troubled” by the AfD being in parliament.
“I’ve decided I won’t be part of the AfD’s group in the German parliament but will initially be an individual member of parliament in the lower house”, Petry said as she left the party’s news conference. Undeterred by criticism, she accepted many refugees into Germany.
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Despite the political uncertainty, world leaders seemed pleased that Merkel had been re-elected as chancellor. Merkel personifies steadiness, continuity and cooperation when Trump and UK Prime Minister Theresa May lead their countries towards more isolationist and protectionist positions and President Xi Jinping selectively deifies global trade on China’s terms.
