Merkel triumphant – but Germany’s far-right stirs
Chancellor admits she hoped for a better result as AFD becomes third largest party
ANGELA MERKEL won a recordequalling fourth term in power last night, while the far-right returned to the German parliament for the first time since the Sixties. Mrs Merkel secured a victory in elections despite the fallout from her refugee policy.
But the nationalist Alternative for Germany party was on course to enter parliament with around 88 seats after a campaign in which its leading candidate called for Germans to take pride in the military achievements of the Nazis. Mrs Merkel emerged as the only leader in a position to form a government. But she lost her previous coalition partner as the Social Democrats suffered the worst electoral result of their history, and announced they would return to opposition.
“We have a mandate to form a government. And no one can form a government against us,” Mrs Merkel said.
It could now take until Christmas for her to put together a new coalition with the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) and the Green Party. Analysts said the result was a blow to Emmanuel Macron, the French president, whose call for eurozone reforms is opposed by the FDP.
THE FAR-RIGHT returned to the German parliament for the first time in almost 60 years last night as Angela Merkel won a record-equalling fourth term in power.
The success of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD), which became the third largest party, tempered a remarkable political comeback by Mrs Merkel after the controversy over her handling of the migrant crisis.
Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) remained the largest party in parliament, and the only party capable of forming a government, although analysts said it could take until Christmas to forge a coalition.
“Of course we hoped for a better result,” Mrs Merkel told supporters in Berlin. “But we have a mandate to form a government. And no government can be formed against us.” She acknowledged that dramatic gains for the AFD were the “biggest challenge” facing her government, and vowed to win voters back from the party that campaigned on a nationalist anti-immigrant platform.
“This is a great night. We did it. We are in parliament,” Alexander Gauland, the Afd’s chancellor candidate said. “We will change this country. We will hunt Merkel, and reclaim our country and our people.”
Germany’s system of coalition government will limit the effect of the AFD as mainstream parties unite against it.
Mrs Merkel’s former coalition partner, the Social Democratic Party (SPD), suffered the worst electoral defeat in its history, and immediately announced it would go into opposition.
Initial exit polls gave the CDU 32.5 per cent of the vote together with its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) – down from 41.5per cent four years ago. The SPD were second with 20 per cent, followed by the AFD with 13.5 per cent – expected to translate to 88 seats in parliament.
Spontaneous protests were under way in several German cities last night against the Afd’s entry to parliament. In Berlin, around 350 to 400 protesters descended on a nightclub where the AFD was holding its election party, chanting “Nazis out” and “All Berlin hates the AFD”. In Cologne, 400 people marched through the city centre. There were also demonstrations in Hamburg, Frankfurt, Munich, Leipzig and Düsseldorf.
Martin Schulz, the SPD leader, told supporters: “We lost the election. But he said he wanted to stay on as party leader and vowed to take the fight to the AFD. “We are the bulwark of democracy,” he said. Mr Schulz rounded on Mrs Merkel, blaming her for the rise of the AFD. “Mrs Merkel fought a scandalous campaign,” he said. “She ducked away from debate, and prevented any contrast between the democratic Left and the democratic Right. This systematic refusal of political debate created a vacuum which the AFD was able to fill. I believe Mrs Merkel bears a great responsibility for this.”
Mr Schulz returned from EU politics in Brussels to lead his party in the campaign. But he was unable to differentiate his party from Mrs Merkel’s government, and the SPD was punished by voters for its part in her coalition.
Afd’s hopes of becoming the official opposition party appeared to be dashed when the SPD announced it would not seek a renewal of the current “Grand Coalition” with Mrs Merkel. The rise of the AFD and the fall in the CDU’S share of the vote were widely seen as a backlash over Mrs Merkel’s controversial 2015 decision to open Germany’s borders to asylum seekers. But less than a
‘We will change this country. We will hunt Merkel, and reclaim our country and our people’
year after many had written Mrs Merkel’s chances off, a result that allows her to remain chancellor will also be seen as a comeback.
All eyes will now turn to coalition talks, and Mrs Merkel’s attempts to form a new government. The SPD’S decision to return to opposition has limited her options, with a three-way coalition with the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the Greens the only obvious option. The FDP, which returned to parliament with 10.5per cent after losing all their seats four years ago, have long been seen as Mrs Merkel’s preferred coalition partner. The Greens, who won 9per cent, are also seen as a viable partner after moving to a more pragmatic, centrist course in recent years but they are not natural bedfellows for the FDP.
The drop in the CDU’S vote share means the two smaller parties will be able to demand a heavy price for their support. Coalition negotiations are likely to be protracted.