| Author (Person) | Bower, Helen |
|---|---|
| Publisher | ProQuest Information and Learning |
| Series Title | In Focus |
| Series Details | 24.9.02 |
| Publication Date | 24/09/2002 |
| Content Type | News, Overview, Topic Guide | In Focus |
|
Gerhard Schröder will serve a second term as German Chancellor after the Social Democratic Party (SPD) claimed a razor thin majority in the national elections on 22 September 2002. Despite the growing trend of right wing governments seizing power in Europe, Schröder's party was able to follow in the footsteps of the Swedish Social Democrats who claimed victory in Sweden's national election held a week ahead of the German one. However, the German Social Democratic party faced strong opposition from the right wing Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) led by Edmund Stoiber. Although the results will not be made final until 9 October, the SPD's are believed to have won 38.7% of the vote compared with 38.3% by the CDU/CSU. On a night when 79.1% of the German electorate turned out to register their political choice, it was the Greens who achieved the most notable success. Led by Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister and the country's most popular politician, the party won nearly 9% of the vote - up 2.5% on the 1998 elections. The Greens will now join forces with the SPD in what has become known as the 'red-green' coalition which will give the two parties a combined total of 306 seats compared to 295 seats in opposition.
The re-election of Gerhard Schröder and the Social Democratic party has been welcomed in the European Union whose Member States must now turn their attention to the issue of enlargement after a year of national elections in many European countries. Germany, the biggest EU Member State, is a key actor in the process lying as it does at the east of current EU borders and contributing the largest amount to the EU's budget. The accession countries have welcomed the result, particularly the success of Joschka Fischer's party since the foreign minister is a strong supporter of European integration. Many believe that he will now push for a ministerial post dedicated to European affairs to be created. However there could still be problems ahead. Germany's economy is still struggling and the Bundesbank warned on the day after the election that Germany risks breaching the European Union's 3 per cent deficit limit in 2002 and is unlikely to balance its budget by 2004. Germany's relations with its international counterparts are also causing problems. German-Franco relations, a driving motor in EU developments, have reached a low point with the French President, Jacques Chirac, and Schröder frequently disagreeing over key issues, particularly the funding of enlargement and the reform of the Common Agricultural policy. The issue of intervention in Iraq has also led to a worsening of German-American relations in recent weeks. The German Chancellor has upset his US counterparts by saying that Germany would not take part in military action against Iraq even if it were backed by the UN security council. Relations between the two countries were further worsened by the German justice minister, Herta Daeuble-Gmelin's comparison of President Bush's political methods with those of Hitler and Schröder 's forthright opposition to any military action has also dismayed British officials. In such an atmosphere, many EU officials have questioned whether the success of Gerhard Schröder and his party will help the European Union to achieve one of its largest challenges - enlargement. After such a closely fought election, Schröder will still have to focus on domestic issues if he wants to fulfill another term as Chancellor. Links: German Government: German Social Democratic Party: BBC News Online:
European Sources Online: Financial Times:
European Sources Online: Topic Guides:
Helen Bower Gerhard Schröder will serve a second term as German Chancellor after the Social Democratic Party (SPD) claimed a razor thin majority in the national elections on 22 September 2002 |
|
| Countries / Regions | Germany |
