Germans were voting in a tight race yesterday between conservative challenger Angela Merkel, who has pledged to reform the moribund economy and bring Germany closer to the US, and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who has touted his country's role as a European leader and counterbalance to the US.
Merkel began the day with a good chance of becoming the country's first female chancellor. But whether a victory would give the former physicist the convincing mandate she needs to forge ahead with tax and labor market reforms remained unknown.
For some voters, her plan to patch up relations with Washington, which frayed after Schroeder's refusal to back the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, has resonated, as has her position that Turkey should not be allowed full membership in the 25-nation EU.
"A country like Turkey just doesn't belong in the European community," voter Torsten Quade, 41, said. "We're already going to let in countries like Romania and Bulgaria, and this is already too much because of how far behind they are."
But other voters said they wanted Schroeder and his Social Democrats to stay in power because of his efforts to keep the country out of the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq and his push for diplomacy with Iran.
"When you have a son coming of military age, this makes it even more important to vote for a government that isn't eager to go to war," said Stefan Deutscher, a 38-year-old business consultant, who voted in Berlin.
He said he blamed Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, for the high unemployment in Germany -- currently at 11.4 percent -- saying: "I dislike the CDU because they passed on a messed-up country to the current government and are now blaming them for it."
The CDU, with Helmut Kohl as its chancellor, led Germany from 1982-1998, during which the country was reunited and unemployment began to rise.
In his hometown of Hannover, Schroeder and his wife, Doris, voted as photographers and cameramen recorded the moment.
The couple walked to the polling place inside a school near their home. She was optimistic about a win by the Social Democratic Party, or SPD, noting that the good weather was an omen.
"My husband always says if the sun is happy, then the SPD has it made." Schroeder did not speak to reporters after he voted.
Merkel cast her vote in Berlin, joined by her husband, chemist Joachim Sauer. Neither spoke to reporters who trailed the pair.
If Merkel's Christian Democrats cannot win a majority with her preferred partners -- the small, pro-business Free Democrats -- she could be forced to share power in a coalition with Schroeder's Social Democrats.
The most recent poll, carried out by the Forsa institute between Monday and Friday, put support for the Christian Democrats at between 41 and 43 percent, with the Free Democrats between 7 and 8 percent. That left it very much open whether they would win a majority in parliament.
If they do, Merkel -- aided by her party's control of the upper house of parliament -- will be able to move ahead with proposals to streamline the tax system, make it easier for small companies to fire people and loosen the rigid labor market in a bid to tackle unemployment and the troublingly low rates of economic growth.
If they do not garner a majority, many think Merkel's party would have to form a "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats, probably without Schroeder, which would likely tame her plans.
also see story:
FREEDOM OF NAVIGATION: The UK would continue to reinforce ties with Taiwan ‘in a wide range of areas’ as a part of a ‘strong unofficial relationship,’ a paper said The UK plans to conduct more freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs David Lammy told the British House of Commons on Tuesday. British Member of Parliament Desmond Swayne said that the Royal Navy’s HMS Spey had passed through the Taiwan Strait “in pursuit of vital international freedom of navigation in the South China Sea.” Swayne asked Lammy whether he agreed that it was “proper and lawful” to do so, and if the UK would continue to carry out similar operations. Lammy replied “yes” to both questions. The
‘OF COURSE A COUNTRY’: The president outlined that Taiwan has all the necessary features of a nation, including citizens, land, government and sovereignty President William Lai (賴清德) discussed the meaning of “nation” during a speech in New Taipei City last night, emphasizing that Taiwan is a country as he condemned China’s misinterpretation of UN Resolution 2758. The speech was the first in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. It is the responsibility of Taiwanese citizens to stand united to defend their national sovereignty, democracy, liberty, way of life and the future of the next generation, Lai said. This is the most important legacy the people of this era could pass on to future generations, he said. Lai went on to discuss
AMENDMENT: Climate change is expected to increase the frequency of high-temperature days, affecting economic productivity and public health, experts said The Central Weather Administration (CWA) is considering amending the Meteorological Act (氣象法) to classify “high temperatures” as “hazardous weather,” providing a legal basis for work or school closures due to extreme heat. CWA Administrator Lu Kuo-chen (呂國臣) yesterday said the agency plans to submit the proposed amendments to the Executive Yuan for review in the fourth quarter this year. The CWA has been monitoring high-temperature trends for an extended period, and the agency contributes scientific data to the recently established High Temperature Response Alliance led by the Ministry of Environment, Lu said. The data include temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and ambient wind,
SECOND SPEECH: All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist the CCP, despite their differences, the president said President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday discussed how pro-Taiwan and pro-Republic of China (ROC) groups can agree to maintain solidarity on the issue of protecting Taiwan and resisting the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The talk, delivered last night at Taoyuan’s Hakka Youth Association, was the second in a series of 10 that Lai is scheduled to give across Taiwan. Citing Taiwanese democracy pioneer Chiang Wei-shui’s (蔣渭水) slogan that solidarity brings strength, Lai said it was a call for political parties to find consensus amid disagreements on behalf of bettering the nation. All political parties should work together to defend democracy, protect Taiwan and resist
RSS