German Elections.

[Ketoprofen]

It looks like Schröder has lost the negotiations in favour of Merkel in Germany. In your opinion, what does this mean for the leftist movement in Germany and what consequences will this have?

What's your opinion on the New Left led by Lafontaine?

[Revolutionary Masses]

A coalitions was formed between the big two parties or was it, we have no television at my digs yet so im finding it difficult to keep up with the news!
I have only just found out that Ronnie Barker has died! *shock*

[Ketoprofen]

The SPD backed down and agreed to form a coalition with the right-wing. Personally, I think it's disgusting and speaks highly of the SPD's commitment to leftist policies but I was wondering wether there were any SPD apologists here, like SSG when we're debating about the french PS.

[D.S. of Soviet Sexy Girls]

I'd say that they had no other choice to create a functional government and that SPD's ministers are now at least able to limit Merker's will for hard liberal reforms !

[Dobbyniania]

heh why do that? They had no gov. SPD could have simply voted down all of the CDU/FDP legislation as they put it out.

[Ketoprofen]

sovietsexy said:

I'd say that they had no other choice to create a functional government and that SPD's ministers are now at least able to limit Merker's will for hard liberal reforms !

Or Schröder could have swallowed his pride and moved out to the left towards the very popular Neue Links with Lafontaine rather than hoping in bed with Merkel. There are several critics within the SPD who agreed this was a good idea but were silenced by the party leadership.

[Dobbyniania]

I heard that the primary argument is over final vision. Some want the party to support a revolutionary ideology while others call for hyper welfare statism.

[Jako]

dobbynania said:

I heard that the primary argument is over final vision. Some want the party to support a revolutionary ideology while others call for hyper welfare statism.

Yes, I see a rosy future for them supporting a revolutionary ideology and vanishing into political insignificance...

[Jako]

The Left Party will never be able to appeal to a wide cross-section of the German electorate, simply because one of the fouding members was the Party of Democratic Socialism, which itself is the renamed Socialist Unity Party (the ruling party in the former "communist" regime of East Germany). Unfairly or not, that strain of politics is seen to represent Germany's past divisions. There are accusations that Gregor Gysi, a leading figure in the PDS, worked for the Stasi (East German secret police).

We also have to remember that the far-Right is enjoying something of a comeback in many parts of Germany. The failing economy has much to do with this. Perhaps it is better to see a mish-mash government of the centrist parties at least attempting to work together rather than risk anything nasty happening. I'm sure we're all aware that Germany has a history of political extremism....

[Dobbyniania]

Funny you say that jako when the left party polled higher then 30 percent in East Germany more than any other party iirc. Seems those east Germans aren’t forgetting “old divisions” in any manner of speakingt. In West Germany the left party has almost no PDS involvement. Rather the WASG is growing its own broad-based leftist movement. That’s one of the great advantages the lienkesparte has, electoral potential on both sides of the old iron curtain.

The far right in Germany has been effectively brutalized by the resurgence of a radical leftist alternative. Perhaps you didn’t notice but the rightists so intent on making the riechstag all failed miserably. The disillusioned now have a party that actually addresses economic issues from a rational perspective. And surprise, surprise, they’re leaving the neo nazis in droves to vote left.

To say that it’s a “good thing” to have centrist government in power is absolutely ridiculous. The grand coalition government will be nothing more than a neoliberal whorehouse for the business elite of Germany. The only thing stopping this government from turning into all out orgy of corruption and exploitation is the left party opposition. Without their voice in the parliament the SPD could run as far right as they so wished!

[Lingua]

In my opinion, it is a "good thing". Sure, I had preferred a continuation of Red-Green, but the SPD (with it's reviving left wing) will at least prevent the market-radical politics we could await under a conservative/neoliberal coalition. And unfortunately, the Left Party will achieve nothing except than slowing down the legislation with their fundamental refusal of reforms.

Yet, I am very glad that it were the socialists who attracted the disillusioned, and not the nazis. Hope it stays that way.
For the future of the Linkspartei, we'll see. They do have a larger "electoral potential" than they had before the renaming, but to scoop it, the big parties would have to do a real crappy job. And if they try to force the WASG to fusion with them, support for them would drop faster than polls could measure.

In the meantime, I hope they become accustomed to the idea of reformism, so a Red-Red-Green coalition could be an option for the next elections.

[The Red Factions]

Merkel has been sworn in as Chancellor now and the SPD has gotten itself a new leader, from the old East as well.