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Germany could hold new elections if Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union fails to form a stable coalition government:
The breakdown of the coalition talks last weekend has done more than dent Ms. Merkel's seeming invulnerability and raise the prospect of new elections, analysts say. Although the Social Democrats agreed on Friday to meet with the chancellor's party next week — raising hopes for, if not a coalition, then a tolerated minority government — the current situation may well signal the breakdown of Germany's postwar tradition of consensus and the dawn of a messy and potentially unnerving politics.
"The distinctive political tradition of the Federal Republic of Germany is change through consensus," said Timothy Garton Ash, a professor of European studies at the University of Oxford. That was what was at stake, he said. "It hasn't worked so far this time."
The leader of the Social Democrats has said that the party's members would have to vote on joining a coalition led by Merkel.
Also at DW (alternate), BBC, The Hill, and NYT (11/20 editorial).
Related: Germany's jubilant far-right has Merkel in its sights
(Score: 4, Insightful) by jmorris on Saturday November 25 2017, @08:46PM (4 children)
The problem for Merkel is simple. She can now choose her ending but that is the extent of her options at this point. Stupid is supposed to hurt so this is good.
She can admit defeat, call for fresh elections and watch AfD form a government. Before voting for AfD was kinda like voting Libertarian here in the U.S., a wasted protest vote, since the media had convinced everyone they wouldn't actually win seats. With that propaganda removed they will do MUCH better in any revote. Everyone admits this, which is why none of the established powers want a redo. If she had honor this is what she would do, so this option is out.
She can double down and try harder to form a government without AfD. Doesn't look like it is going to happen unless she gives up so much it destabilizes things enough that it quickly collapses and her Party suffers a disaster of biblical proportion. But she could postpone things a year or so and cling to power with this option but the end game would be obviously preordained. The good outcome here is AfD comes to power, the bad option is literal Nazis.
She could form a government with AfD. If she cut a deal with them NOW, while they are still politically weak she could give them a couple of key policy concessions and defang their support. This could be AfD's high water mark. This option would require she admit AfD and their voters are really Germans and have real grievances. In other words she would have to legitimize them. She can't do that and keep the support of the globalists backers who put her where she is. She would be done but her Party could remain in power.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday November 26 2017, @01:09AM (1 child)
Except that AfD so viscerally despises Frau Merkel that I would place the possibility of any such coalition as similar to the chances of finding a beer garden on Neptune. Realpolitik has it's limits.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday November 26 2017, @06:06AM
From what I understand, and that understanding is limited, only the influence of the AfD and not the AfD itself will be involved in the next government. But then again, my info is months-old, so did Merkel really fuck up that badly to actually give AfD some seats at the table?
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Sunday November 26 2017, @03:40PM (1 child)
Letting a minority party like that into government is exactly how the Nazis came to power last time. Von Pappen convinced Heidelberg to bring Hitler and the Nazis in because they were more afraid of the communists who were ascendant at that time.
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 27 2017, @02:29AM
...and then their country prospered.