Elgalad
10-11-2005, 05:12 AM
Times U.K. Report (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13509-1820083,00.html)
GERMANY’S first female Chancellor looked like a nervous schoolgirl yesterday, chewing her nails and typing out text messages before announcing that, yes, she had carried off the prize. “I’m fine, in a good mood,” she said in a voice drained of enthusiasm.
There has never been a German Chancellor so hemmed in, so weak. Half her Cabinet will be made up of Social Democrats who have shown her nothing but contempt. Other key ministries will be occupied by old rivals, such as Edmund Stoiber, the Bavarian premier.
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</td></tr></tbody></table>Everything hinges on her ability to persuade ordinary people of the need for reform. Yet nothing in her career so far indicates a populist touch.
I must say, this looks promising, at least to me. I've never been a fan of Schroder, the Social Democrat (similar to our own Liberal Democrats) and after this razor thin election, it looked like he had managed to pull off another victory. The Times report isn't very supportive of Chancellor Merkel, nor I think are most Europeans right now. But her Christian Democratic Party did win a slight victory in the recent elections and it appears she's put together a governing coalition.
How will this affect us? Well, the campaign she ran promoted 'reform' which, to a Germany long steeped in state socialism, could mean opening up more free markets. Another of her party's positions was a wish to build closer ties to the United States, definitely another plus. Schroder's supporters held a much different view, much less favorable of relations with America. It was no big secret that Schroder's close friendship with President Clinton took a definite turn south after George W. Bush's victory in 2000, followed by the Iraqi liberation (which he was a vocal opponent of).
Only time will reveal what the full outcome of this development will be, of course. I'll be paying close attention to the news today to see what the President and Washington's take on this is. This is a rare opportunity and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the President will capitalize on it.
I'll also be listening closely for the squawks of outrage from the rest of Europe, particulary France (Chirac and Schroder have been as close as Beavis and Butthead for years!). :smirky:
Edit: Ah, I managed to find a more balanced article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/10/AR2005101000572.html) about the 'deal'.
-Elgalad
GERMANY’S first female Chancellor looked like a nervous schoolgirl yesterday, chewing her nails and typing out text messages before announcing that, yes, she had carried off the prize. “I’m fine, in a good mood,” she said in a voice drained of enthusiasm.
There has never been a German Chancellor so hemmed in, so weak. Half her Cabinet will be made up of Social Democrats who have shown her nothing but contempt. Other key ministries will be occupied by old rivals, such as Edmund Stoiber, the Bavarian premier.
<table valign="TOP" align="right" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td id="mpuHeader" name="mpuHeader">
</td></tr><tr align="right"><td align="right"><script type="text/javascript">NI_MPU('middle');</script>
</td></tr></tbody></table>Everything hinges on her ability to persuade ordinary people of the need for reform. Yet nothing in her career so far indicates a populist touch.
I must say, this looks promising, at least to me. I've never been a fan of Schroder, the Social Democrat (similar to our own Liberal Democrats) and after this razor thin election, it looked like he had managed to pull off another victory. The Times report isn't very supportive of Chancellor Merkel, nor I think are most Europeans right now. But her Christian Democratic Party did win a slight victory in the recent elections and it appears she's put together a governing coalition.
How will this affect us? Well, the campaign she ran promoted 'reform' which, to a Germany long steeped in state socialism, could mean opening up more free markets. Another of her party's positions was a wish to build closer ties to the United States, definitely another plus. Schroder's supporters held a much different view, much less favorable of relations with America. It was no big secret that Schroder's close friendship with President Clinton took a definite turn south after George W. Bush's victory in 2000, followed by the Iraqi liberation (which he was a vocal opponent of).
Only time will reveal what the full outcome of this development will be, of course. I'll be paying close attention to the news today to see what the President and Washington's take on this is. This is a rare opportunity and I am keeping my fingers crossed that the President will capitalize on it.
I'll also be listening closely for the squawks of outrage from the rest of Europe, particulary France (Chirac and Schroder have been as close as Beavis and Butthead for years!). :smirky:
Edit: Ah, I managed to find a more balanced article (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/10/AR2005101000572.html) about the 'deal'.
-Elgalad