Merkel's party easily beats centre-left in state poll
Carsten HAUPTMEIER with Frank ZELLER in Berlin
AFPMarch 26, 2017
Angela Merkel faces one of her toughest domestic challengers yet in the shape of Martin Schulz (AFP Photo/Tobias SCHWARZ, Frederick FLORIN)
Saarbrucken (Germany) (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party easily won a regional election Sunday, dealing an early blow to centre-left hopes of ending her more than decade-long reign.
In the Saarland state vote held six months before a general election, Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) won 40 percent against 30 percent for the Social Democrats (SPD), according to early results by public broadcasters.
Learn more[url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Schulz vote merkel wins partys&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Schulz vote merkel wins partys[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Martin Schulz vote merkel wins&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Martin Schulz vote merkel wins[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Schulz vote merkel rival wins&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Schulz vote merkel rival wins[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Martin Schulz vote merkel nomination&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Martin Schulz vote merkel nomination[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Martin Schulz vote merkel wins partys&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Martin Schulz vote merkel wins partys[/url]
The result spelt a five-point boost for the CDU over the SPD, which has served as the unhappy junior partner to the conservatives in so-called grand coalitions at both the state and national levels.
The vote in the tiny state on the French border, which has a population of only one million, was seen as a bellwether ahead of the September 24 general election in which Merkel, the veteran leader often dubbed "the Queen of Europe", will seek a fourth term.
The SPD have made strong gains in national opinion surveys since Martin Schulz, the folksy and plain-spoken former president of the European Parliament, took over in January.
The "Schulz effect" has seen especially younger voters flock to the more than 150-year-old workers' party, which is now polling neck-and-neck at the national level with Merkel's conservative bloc.
But the new euphoria did not translate into the strong results the SPD had hoped for in Saarland, a former coal mining region, which held the first of three German state polls scheduled in the run-up to the national election.
Schulz conceded it was "not a nice evening" and that "the CDU clearly won" but insisted that "our goal is a change of federal government" this year, calling the campaign until then "a marathon, not a sprint".
- 'Path of success' -
The CDU's popular state premier Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was cheered by jubilant supporters, admitted she was "floored" by the strong result, about five points up from the last election amid strong turnout of around 70 percent.
Merkel's right-hand man Peter Altmaier, the chancellery chief-of-staff who hails from Saarland, said "it's an outcome that gives us courage".
The result suggested many voters in Saarland were frightened by talk of a "red-red" coalition between the SPD and the far-left Linke party, which scored about 13 percent.
Merkel, 62, had warned local voters last week that "red-red... experiments should be avoided" and urged them to stick with the CDU's "path of success".
She had also cautioned at a campaign event that a leftist coalition would harm the economy and "wall it in with taxes, bureaucracy and red tape".
A starker warning came from the pro-business Free Democrats who cautioned against turning Saarland into a modern version of the former communist East Germany or "a GDR lite".
- 'Uncertain times' -
The SPD's Justice Minister Heiko Maas admitted the outcome was "disappointing" and conceded that "we had clearly hoped for a better result".
He said the debate over a possible red-red coalition had "obviously penalised the SPD" by frightening part of the electorate.
Another leftist party -- the ecologist Greens, possible candidates for a future "red-red-green" national coalition -- meanwhile scored less than five percent, meaning they missed the hurdle for parliamentary representation and were kicked out of the state assembly.
CDU secretary general Peter Tauber said the outcome was "a clear rejection of red-red-green", including at the national level.
"In uncertain times, the people trust in leaders and political forces that govern in a dependable way," he said.
The anti-immigration and right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party just scraped in with six percent, meaning it is now represented in 11 of Germany's 16 state assemblies.
It was however the AfD's worst result after five state elections in which it topped 10 percent, in a sign that the abating refugee crisis and bitter infighting have damaged popular support for the protest party.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/german-state-votes-election-test-merkel-034553532.html
Carsten HAUPTMEIER with Frank ZELLER in Berlin
AFPMarch 26, 2017
Angela Merkel faces one of her toughest domestic challengers yet in the shape of Martin Schulz (AFP Photo/Tobias SCHWARZ, Frederick FLORIN)
Saarbrucken (Germany) (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party easily won a regional election Sunday, dealing an early blow to centre-left hopes of ending her more than decade-long reign.
In the Saarland state vote held six months before a general election, Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) won 40 percent against 30 percent for the Social Democrats (SPD), according to early results by public broadcasters.
Learn more[url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Schulz vote merkel wins partys&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Schulz vote merkel wins partys[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Martin Schulz vote merkel wins&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Martin Schulz vote merkel wins[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Schulz vote merkel rival wins&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Schulz vote merkel rival wins[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Martin Schulz vote merkel nomination&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Martin Schulz vote merkel nomination[/url][url=https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=Martin Schulz vote merkel wins partys&fr=c2ssa&c2slid=l1490564373309_25778&c2smid=m1490564384979_54172&c2sm_algoVer=0.1.10]Martin Schulz vote merkel wins partys[/url]
The result spelt a five-point boost for the CDU over the SPD, which has served as the unhappy junior partner to the conservatives in so-called grand coalitions at both the state and national levels.
The vote in the tiny state on the French border, which has a population of only one million, was seen as a bellwether ahead of the September 24 general election in which Merkel, the veteran leader often dubbed "the Queen of Europe", will seek a fourth term.
The SPD have made strong gains in national opinion surveys since Martin Schulz, the folksy and plain-spoken former president of the European Parliament, took over in January.
The "Schulz effect" has seen especially younger voters flock to the more than 150-year-old workers' party, which is now polling neck-and-neck at the national level with Merkel's conservative bloc.
But the new euphoria did not translate into the strong results the SPD had hoped for in Saarland, a former coal mining region, which held the first of three German state polls scheduled in the run-up to the national election.
Schulz conceded it was "not a nice evening" and that "the CDU clearly won" but insisted that "our goal is a change of federal government" this year, calling the campaign until then "a marathon, not a sprint".
- 'Path of success' -
The CDU's popular state premier Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was cheered by jubilant supporters, admitted she was "floored" by the strong result, about five points up from the last election amid strong turnout of around 70 percent.
Merkel's right-hand man Peter Altmaier, the chancellery chief-of-staff who hails from Saarland, said "it's an outcome that gives us courage".
The result suggested many voters in Saarland were frightened by talk of a "red-red" coalition between the SPD and the far-left Linke party, which scored about 13 percent.
Merkel, 62, had warned local voters last week that "red-red... experiments should be avoided" and urged them to stick with the CDU's "path of success".
She had also cautioned at a campaign event that a leftist coalition would harm the economy and "wall it in with taxes, bureaucracy and red tape".
A starker warning came from the pro-business Free Democrats who cautioned against turning Saarland into a modern version of the former communist East Germany or "a GDR lite".
- 'Uncertain times' -
The SPD's Justice Minister Heiko Maas admitted the outcome was "disappointing" and conceded that "we had clearly hoped for a better result".
He said the debate over a possible red-red coalition had "obviously penalised the SPD" by frightening part of the electorate.
Another leftist party -- the ecologist Greens, possible candidates for a future "red-red-green" national coalition -- meanwhile scored less than five percent, meaning they missed the hurdle for parliamentary representation and were kicked out of the state assembly.
CDU secretary general Peter Tauber said the outcome was "a clear rejection of red-red-green", including at the national level.
"In uncertain times, the people trust in leaders and political forces that govern in a dependable way," he said.
The anti-immigration and right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party just scraped in with six percent, meaning it is now represented in 11 of Germany's 16 state assemblies.
It was however the AfD's worst result after five state elections in which it topped 10 percent, in a sign that the abating refugee crisis and bitter infighting have damaged popular support for the protest party.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/german-state-votes-election-test-merkel-034553532.html
Yesterday at 7:52 am by Rocky
» utube 3/28/24 MM&C Iraqi Dinar - IQD Update - SWIFT - Purchasing Power - Urban Renaissance - Releas
Yesterday at 7:51 am by Rocky
» Al-Mandalawi: Iraq is witnessing competition between major companies...and the House of Representati
Yesterday at 7:49 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic stresses the importance of the role of programmers in developing the w
Yesterday at 7:46 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Industry and Minerals follows up on the technical and production performance of the
Yesterday at 7:45 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Finance is following up on the field the progress of the newly implemented ASYCUDA s
Yesterday at 7:44 am by Rocky
» Statistics: There are more than 15 million bank accounts in Iraq
Yesterday at 7:42 am by Rocky
» Representative: One paragraph hinders the passage of a general amnesty within the House of Represent
Yesterday at 7:37 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Finance: “The draft federal budget law will be devoid of new job grades.”
Yesterday at 7:36 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary action to resolve the fate of “food security contracts” in 15 governorates
Yesterday at 7:35 am by Rocky
» 300 factories turned into "iron scrap" in Diyala
Yesterday at 7:34 am by Rocky
» A deputy expects the dollar exchange rate to reach 140 Iraqi dinars
Yesterday at 7:32 am by Rocky
» Al-Yasiri: The American administration is working hard to destroy the Iraqi economy
Yesterday at 7:31 am by Rocky
» Infographic: The highest annual salaries of leaders of Arab countries
Yesterday at 7:30 am by Rocky
» Communications announces that the electronic signature project has reached advanced stages
Yesterday at 7:29 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Integrity presents a file related to Kuwaiti violations of Iraqi oil
Yesterday at 7:27 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary move to include amendments to Parliament’s internal regulations on the agenda (documen
Yesterday at 7:25 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi President urges the Minister of Finance to expedite the payment of salaries to the Kurdist
Yesterday at 7:23 am by Rocky
» Central Bank of Iraq sales exceeded $251 million at today’s auction
Yesterday at 7:21 am by Rocky
» The Foreign Minister questions the "Iraqi resistance" attacks against Israel: the other side did not
Yesterday at 7:20 am by Rocky
» The Minister of Labor announces progress in the electronic payment system
Yesterday at 7:17 am by Rocky
» Interior Ministry: For the first time, we controlled the smuggling of petroleum derivatives by 98 pe
Yesterday at 7:16 am by Rocky
» International companies offer offers to invest in the Dhi Qar marshes.. What distinguishes them?
Yesterday at 7:15 am by Rocky
» “Tough” comments on interest rates raise the dollar globally
Yesterday at 7:14 am by Rocky
» Iraq is the fifth largest oil supplier to South Korea in a month
Yesterday at 7:12 am by Rocky
» Recovering more than 100 billion as a result of more than 200,000 employees on social welfare
Yesterday at 7:11 am by Rocky
» The Sudanese consultant announces the completion of Baghdad Metro track designs
Yesterday at 7:08 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani stresses ending the problem of triple-shift schools
Yesterday at 7:07 am by Rocky
» Iraq begins building two new tankers to transport petroleum products
Yesterday at 7:06 am by Rocky
» Forming a council for “competition and preventing monopoly”
Yesterday at 7:04 am by Rocky
» Features of an Iraqi-Turkish agreement regarding the status of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party
Yesterday at 7:02 am by Rocky
» {Al-Buzrajiya} between the hammer of fraud and the power of the owners
Yesterday at 7:01 am by Rocky
» Ministry of Oil: The gas sector is witnessing great development
Yesterday at 6:59 am by Rocky
» An agreement with Britain in the field of securities
Yesterday at 6:58 am by Rocky
» Discussions between Baghdad and Ankara to open a new port
Yesterday at 6:57 am by Rocky
» Trade: About 11 million citizens updated their new card information
Yesterday at 6:56 am by Rocky
» Electronic payment is sustainable growth
Yesterday at 6:55 am by Rocky
» Experts: Iraq qualifies to be an important tourist country
Yesterday at 6:54 am by Rocky
» Amending the Health Professions Law “robs” scientists of the central appointment 3 years after it wa
Yesterday at 5:20 am by Rocky
» Is the “blessings package” that Erbil paid to the citizens of Kurdistan related to the elections?
Yesterday at 5:19 am by Rocky
» Exceeded 5,000 projects.. Allocating 10 trillion dinars to support governorate reconstruction plans
Yesterday at 5:18 am by Rocky
» “His need no longer exists.” Parliamentary Finance confirms the necessity of returning the retiremen
Yesterday at 5:17 am by Rocky
» To communicate with the bases... 12 directives from Al-Sadr, including blocking numbers for non-gove
Yesterday at 5:15 am by Rocky
» In an interview with "Baghdad Today"... an Iranian researcher reveals the importance of Haniyeh's vi
Yesterday at 5:14 am by Rocky
» After it was 63 trillion in 2023... the 2024 budget deficit will rise to 80 trillion dinars
Yesterday at 5:13 am by Rocky
» Parliament reveals the date of the first evaluation of the governors and determines the party respon
Yesterday at 5:11 am by Rocky
» The President of the Republic informs Al-Araji and Al-Basri: Momentum must be mobilized to eliminate
Yesterday at 5:10 am by Rocky
» Can the Federal Court sue others? A legal clarification of its response mechanism to abuse
Yesterday at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Despite promises to soon stop burning gas.. What is the secret behind Iraq renewing the Iranian gas
Yesterday at 5:07 am by Rocky
» Advisor to Al-Sudani: The dollar is on the way to further decline, and 70% of Iraqi traders have ent
Yesterday at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Iraq exported more than 99 million barrels of oil last February
Yesterday at 5:04 am by Rocky
» Barzani “gives good news” to Kurdistan employees: salaries, land, and loan exemptions
Yesterday at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Alia Nassif: Nour Zuhair returned to the port of Umm Qasr to make deals.. An influential Shiite forc
Yesterday at 5:02 am by Rocky
» The Prime Minister announces the movement of nearly 500 stalled projects
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» A government strategy to enhance investments.. Iraq is on the verge of a new era of economic develop
Yesterday at 4:59 am by Rocky
» Ranging between 20% and 50%.. The Kurdistan government decides to reduce service fees, customs dutie
Yesterday at 4:58 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani: The reform approach in the security services is an integral part of reform in other secto
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Everyone in Iraq wants the Sudanese visit to Washington to be successful, even the factions!
Yesterday at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Sources and experts expect the agenda.. in his bag is the Baghdad dollar and the factions’ truce, bu
Yesterday at 4:54 am by Rocky
» The decision to raise gasoline prices arouses the ire of drivers...a reminder of the large demonstra
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary services: 3 important hospitals in Baghdad will enter service at the end of the year
Yesterday at 4:52 am by Rocky
» Iraq signs a contract to supply Iranian gas for a period of five years
Yesterday at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Parliament adds a voting paragraph on amending the Penal Code to its agenda
Yesterday at 4:49 am by Rocky
» His political advisor: We are not afraid of Sudanese entering the elections alone
Yesterday at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary services explain the reasons for the rise in real estate prices in Baghdad
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Attia, criticizing the government's decisions: "The citizen's feathers will be ruffled without servi
Yesterday at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Communications: Zain Iraq and Asiacell did not pay their debts
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» The Governor of Karbala announces the imminent establishment of the largest industrial city in the c
Yesterday at 4:43 am by Rocky
» A government determination to end the issue of displaced persons in the middle of this year
Yesterday at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Iraq buys gas from Kurdistan to generate electricity
Yesterday at 4:41 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary signatures to include an amendment to the internal regulations to decide the choice of
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» In Basra.. a demonstration against foreign workers in Iraqi companies (video)
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Al-Samarrai: Presidency of Parliament is an entitlement to the constituents, and calling it a “frame
Yesterday at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Electronic food supplies in 6 governorates... covering 11 million Iraqis and “writing off” about 700
Yesterday at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Corruption of the Ministry of Transport.. Representatives express their surprise at the minister’s s
Yesterday at 4:32 am by Rocky
» The biggest supporter of the invasion of Iraq.. The death of former US Senator Joe Lieberman
Yesterday at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Iraq is ranked “late.” A list of the most and least safe Arab countries for women
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» The Council of Ministers exempts the Gulf Interconnection Authority from guarantee fees: it is a gov
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:48 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi government raises the size of the 2024 budget, and Parliament is “surprised”
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:46 am by Rocky
» Popular Movement: We have many economic options away from American hegemony
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:42 am by Rocky
» The Oil Parliament stresses the need to transfer part of the revenues to the producing governorates
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:41 am by Rocky
» It will cover 14 regions in eastern Iraq.. A deputy reveals the “border electricity” project
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:40 am by Rocky
» Experts Warn Mass Migration Threatens US Food Security
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:37 am by Bama Diva
» Al-Fateh: America occupies Iraq through agreements
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:37 am by Rocky
» Anger in Iraq over a "sudden decision"... and a reminder of a "general strike" that paralyzed the co
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:34 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Committee: Parliament is discussing today a decision that “disturbed” the Iraqis
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:33 am by Rocky
» Ministry of Electricity: Our production will reach 27 thousand megawatts by May
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:31 am by Rocky
» Diagnosing the “most important” problems in the oil file between Baghdad and Erbil.. What is the rel
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:30 am by Rocky
» The Iraqi Fiqh Academy and the Sunni Endowment issue a fatwa to pay Zakat al-Fitr
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:28 am by Rocky
» The National Bank of Iraq continues its digital transformation by launching its new banking system a
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:26 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Investment and the Central Bank are discussing the housing initiative
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:25 am by Rocky
» The Prime Minister announces the restart of 500 suspended projects
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:23 am by Rocky
» Al-Barti assesses the region's employees: Your salaries are insured and will be paid after resettlem
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:21 am by Rocky
» Iraqi-American discussions in anticipation of the Sudanese visit
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:20 am by Rocky
» Iraq and Turkey hold meetings in Ankara to discuss technical issues related to the development road
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:17 am by Rocky
» A government parliamentary agreement to support budget revenues and governorate allocations for inve
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:16 am by Rocky
» Oil: The gas sector is witnessing great development
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:15 am by Rocky
» A Kurdish-French agreement to develop trade and economic relations
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:13 am by Rocky
» Exchange companies in Mosul demand that they be entered into the currency selling window
Wed 27 Mar 2024, 7:12 am by Rocky