Angela Merkel's 'hollow victory'
- 7 years ago
“We are in charge of forming a government and without our party there will be no government.”
Angela Merkel addressed supporters in bullish mood as she claimed victory on Sunday night. ( Sept.24) And the win for the soon-to-be-fourth time German Chancellor was greeted with enthusiasm by her supporters but there are major concerns. Her conservative CDU-dominated alliance has hemorrhaged support to the anti-immigration “Alternative for Germany” (AfD).
“Compared to other countries like our neighbours – let’s say France, Poland, the Netherlands, it’s lucky that in percentage terms, it has been a relatively moderate success by the AfD,” said one CDU member. “But it is a shock,” she admitted. “Not only because the AfD have mobilised non-voters, but they have also taken CDU voters. This is where we need to think things through: how can we get back these 1 million or so voters back to our camp.”
Others are playing up the virtues of having different coalition partners with the possibility of broadening government priorities.
“We need a government that thinks of the future, that tackles the ecological as well as the economic challenges and I think that for this task a small coalition is the right course,” enthused a young Merkel backer.
Anja Bencze was in Berlin reporting for euronews:
“Germany has voted and the CDU/CSU alliance has again got a mandate to govern, but with heavy losses. Angela Merkel is facing long and difficult talks to form a government that will be able to get things done. One of the biggest challenges in the next four years is the fact that AfD will now be in parliament.”
Angela Merkel addressed supporters in bullish mood as she claimed victory on Sunday night. ( Sept.24) And the win for the soon-to-be-fourth time German Chancellor was greeted with enthusiasm by her supporters but there are major concerns. Her conservative CDU-dominated alliance has hemorrhaged support to the anti-immigration “Alternative for Germany” (AfD).
“Compared to other countries like our neighbours – let’s say France, Poland, the Netherlands, it’s lucky that in percentage terms, it has been a relatively moderate success by the AfD,” said one CDU member. “But it is a shock,” she admitted. “Not only because the AfD have mobilised non-voters, but they have also taken CDU voters. This is where we need to think things through: how can we get back these 1 million or so voters back to our camp.”
Others are playing up the virtues of having different coalition partners with the possibility of broadening government priorities.
“We need a government that thinks of the future, that tackles the ecological as well as the economic challenges and I think that for this task a small coalition is the right course,” enthused a young Merkel backer.
Anja Bencze was in Berlin reporting for euronews:
“Germany has voted and the CDU/CSU alliance has again got a mandate to govern, but with heavy losses. Angela Merkel is facing long and difficult talks to form a government that will be able to get things done. One of the biggest challenges in the next four years is the fact that AfD will now be in parliament.”