Merkel set to win the polls, boost ties with China

With Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian counterpart the Christian Social Union in Bavaria consistently leading the opinion polls, the German chancellor seems set to win her fourth federal parliamentary election on Sept 24.

The opposition Social Democratic Party, the oldest political party in Germany, has been led by former European Parliament president Martin Schulz in the election, in which about 61.5 million people are eligible to vote.

Germany’s recent election history shows rarely a single party has won absolute majority in the Bundestag (the German parliament) to form a government. No wonder many observers say the upcoming election could see Merkel’s ruling coalition and Schulz’s party building a “grand coalition” to form the new government. Such an outcome should be welcome. Merkel may have committed a mistake or two as far as her immigration policy is concerned, but she has won widespread praise for her overall leadership. Her government has helped create ample jobs to keep the unemployment rate low — among the lowest in the European Union — prevent the inflation rate from rising drastically, in order to ensure commodities remain affordable for the vulnerable sections of society, and provide attractive social welfare benefits for the people while managing to sharpen Germany’s competitive edge and dynamism.

And among Germany’s many achievements, its active engagement with China in various fields is remarkable.