Yup. What do we have here. In the East a party that was de facto created by the ex ruling party cadres who regretted the end of their dictatorship. That they get their votes from those who are understandably upset about the problems with the post-unification economy doesn't change that basic fact.
In the West, a hodgepodge fronted by Lafontaine who in addition to wanting a rollback of the reforms also has discovered a new found affection for extreme right wing xenophobia and racism.
51% of voters did indeed vote for one of the left wing parties. But are you really so sure that all of those voters genuinely want a red green red coalition? There is no way of knowing but I'm pretty certain that if Schroeder Fischer went into the campaign saying they were open to a coalition with the Linkspartei, we'd have been watching champagne corks popping at Adenauer Haus last night.
PS - There seems to be an immplication that ignoring a significant voting block is somehow wrong - why? If the NPD were to get into parliament would you find it strange or wrong that the CDU refused to work with it?
It is quite anti-democratic from large party supporters to advocate a democratic system where only their parties exist, even (or especially?) with reference to governability or their dislike for the smaller parties' agenda or persons. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
