The Social Democratic Party SPD won parliamentary elections in Germany , marking the end of the Merkel era, with 25.7% of the vote, slightly ahead of the Conservatives, according to an official provisional tally announced by the Federal Election Commission this morning . The conservative CDU-CSU camp obtained 24.1% of the votes, the worst result in its history, while the Greens came in third place with 14.8%, followed by the liberal Fdp party with 11.5% .
A match on the wire and two challengers ready to claim the scepter. The Social Democrats earn many points and gain a clear albeit slight advantage, while for the CDU, compared to four years ago, it is a defeat. And this made an excited Scholz declaim, greeted by a long ovation at the Willy Brandt Haus, that “the evening will be long but one thing is clear: the citizens want a change. And they ask that the name of the next chancellor be Olaf Scholz” . Among the conservatives of the Union, however, Armin Laschet took the floor to curb the enthusiasm of the SPD: too soon, he warned. “The result is not clear at all for now. We will make every effort to form a Union-led government.” The CDU leader had to admit that “he cannot be happy with the result”, the collapse is almost nine points compared to four years ago. And the definitive slap comes when the conquest of the SPD is also ascertained for the single-member constituency of Rugen, in the Land of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which Merkel had won 8 times in a row since 1990. But at this point also the allies-knives Bavarians back the weak candidate, with Markus Soeder, also dissatisfied with the performance in Bavaria, calling for “a conservative-led coalition of reasonableness”. And everyone, both Scholz and Laschet, is pressing for the formation of a new government coalition “before Christmas”. According to the projections released by the public channel of the Zdf, the Social Democrats are in the lead with 26% (+5.5 compared to 2017), followed by the Union with 24.2% (-8.7). In third place are the Greens with 14.3% (+5). The liberals got 11.5% (+0.8). Afd’s ultra-right would get 10.6% (-2) while Linke’s left stops at 5 (-4.2%), dangerously on the minimum threshold for entry into the Bundestag. Beyond the relations of forces within the parties, it is clear however that Scholz’s SPD is celebrating a great success after years of disappointment – the Sueddeutsche Zeitung dedicates a profile to it entitled “A hero named Olaf” – as well as the Greens by Annalena Baerbock, who also had very different initial expectations. For the Union, this September 26 marks a historic thud, which at the Adenauer Haus they are trying to justify with the Chancellor’s failure to reward, due to Merkel’s departure from the scene. She is ready to claim a great “historic success”
Liberal Christian Lindner also exulted: “A clear signal comes out of the polls, the voters want a central government.” In the balance of the next coalition, the leader of the FDP has left the door open both for a ‘traffic light’ coalition (with the SPD and the Greens) and for the so-called ‘Jamaica’, with the Union and the Greens, the one he would prefer. While the conservatives unanimously rejoiced over the meager result of Linke, which definitively removes the specter of a red red-green coalition. Excluding therefore a government with the left and the outgoing Groko that the Social Democrats have long since rejected – they want to finally see the CDU and Csu in opposition – the options currently on the table are therefore an ‘Ampel’ coalition between SPD, Greens and Liberals, and the already mentioned Jamaica, that Lindner blew up four years ago. But it will be only the night that will bring more concrete results on which to reason: the postal vote weighs, whose count could also change the picture. Meanwhile, the green Robert Habeck and Lindner agree on a different scheme: they will deal first with each other, to probe the common points, and then they will open the table to the others. The impression is that the little ones could choose whether the chancellor should be Scholz or Laschet. Doubts about the winner’s name circulate on German sites. Spiegel writes: Scholz won, but what value does it have agreement on a different scheme: they will deal first with each other, to probe the common points, and then they will open the table to the others. The impression is that the little ones could choose whether the chancellor should be Scholz or Laschet. Doubts about the winner’s name circulate on German sites. Spiegel writes: Scholz won, but what value does it have agreement on a different scheme: they will deal first with each other, to probe the common points, and then they will open the table to the others. The impression is that the little ones could choose whether the chancellor should be Scholz or Laschet. Doubts about the winner’s name circulate on German sites. Spiegel writes: Scholz won, but what value does it have
And of the leader of the Union he asks, “he will rush to the chancellery
” and it is clear that the games will remain open for a long time. The two aspiring Bundeskanzlerin have given themselves a generous time: the government must be born by Christmas. Merkel may even have time to overcome Helmut Kohl’s political longevity if he remains in office until December 17.
