Yet another big setback for the left in Europe. This despite a global downturn that was triggered by banks. Remarkable. If there's a silver lining, it's that Angela Merkel is better than her party, and that Bavaria's troglodytic CSU had its worst showing in 50 years. That should strengthen Chancellor Merkel's hand dealing with the boorish old men in her own party.
Worth noting: it looks like the CDU actually did worse than it did last time around. Angela Merkel's ability to put together a government is predicated on the huge success of the Free Democrats, who seem to have gone from 10% to an astonishing 15%. The FDP has become an essentially a pro-business party with a libertarian sheen, which makes that 50% increase all the more remarkable given last year's history.
Turnout was fell from about 78 to 71 percent. I wonder whether the no shows were predominantly left sympathizers. Or perhaps they were Germans fleein from pablum like this from the Kanzlerin's victory speech:
Ich möchte die Bundeskanzlerin aller Deutschen sein, damit es unserem Land besser geht. ... Unser Anspruch heißt: Wir wollen Volkspartei bleiben, auch im 21. Jahrhundert.
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from june:
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2009/06/biased-election-reporting.html
That's about right, but a victory is a victory, and the Kanzlerin now gets to govern without being shackled by the Social Democrats. The lesson, I suppose, is that people who vote for libertarian parties usually favor cutting taxes on the rich over civil libertarians. But in a funny way, it's a big step forward for the right: Merkel is also freed of the need to cater to the socially conservative Bavarians who were so hellbent on challenging her from within the ranks. As I wrote, that's the one silver lining I see here.
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