Berlin 05-02-2010
The 2nd Merkel coalition government has been grappling with the banking crisis, domestic tax issues and the factious and unpopular military mission in Afghanistan for about the last 3 months and have very little positive results to show for it.
While some expectations may have been high when this governing coalition came to power 100 days ago – in fact it has shown that centre-right liberal FDP party have become a much more wily ‘partner’ for the right wing CDU/CSU than they might initially have wished for.
In last Septembers federal election, the two parties that went on to form the new government chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU/CSU only managed to obtain 34% percent of the popular vote – a historic low.
As coalition partner the ‘business friendly’ FDP was chosen above the Social Democrats. The FDP had achieved their best ever result – 15%.
After the first 100 days of this new 3 party constellation – German voters’ enthusiasm and interest has waned considerably.
Important regional elections in North Rhine-Westphalia -Germany’s most populous state- loom in May and the coalition partners are under pressure to seem to be unified and get their act together in time.
Perceived unity goes down well with the electorate -the reality is somewhat different.
The FDP want eagerly to push their agenda of substantial tax breaks along with tax reform – without increasing government spending . But the CDU/CSU partners have stressed fiscal discipline must be a priority at all costs.
The war in Afghanistan is also a point of contention between the coalition. Germans overwhelmingly are against the Bundeswehr’s mission there -but all political parties, except the left ‘Linke’ have stated that leaving Afghanistan to fend for itself at this point would be foolish.
After much wrangling between FDP’s Foreign Minister Westerwelle and the CSU’s Defense Minister zu Guttenberg the coalition at least presented a united front of sorts at the Afghanistan conference in London last week.
Tags: Berlin Merkel government
