Mr Lafontaine is an able and charismatic figure. But he is not a very successful government politician. When he ran as the SPD's candidate for chancellor in 1990, Helmut Kohl trounced him. When he was made finance minister by Gerhard Schröder in 1998, he lasted six months. By joining forces with the east German PDS party (successor of the Communist party) in 2005 to form the Left party, he helped weaken the SPD. But his new party lacked sufficient voter appeal - only one defector in six from the SPD voted for the Left in 2009 - to have prospects of becoming a strong coalition partner. Many of those who remain in the SPD have had it with Mr Lafontaine. So his retirement may make it easier for Germany's centre-left to rebuild and co-operate. The spring elections in North Rhine-Westphalia will be a pointer there. But there is no disguising the continuing weakness and gradual decline of the German centre-left as a potential party of federal government. Failure to adapt to globalisation has produced weakness. Weakness has caused splits and the splits are reflected in further weakness.
Many of those who remain in the SPD have had it with Mr Lafontaine. So his retirement may make it easier for Germany's centre-left to rebuild and co-operate. The spring elections in North Rhine-Westphalia will be a pointer there. But there is no disguising the continuing weakness and gradual decline of the German centre-left as a potential party of federal government. Failure to adapt to globalisation has produced weakness. Weakness has caused splits and the splits are reflected in further weakness.
This (but not the rest of the sentence) is the one serious criticism. Or, at least, problem. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
It seems that German re-unification weakened the left in both East and West Germany, and only Kohl's problems enabled a centrist like Schroeder to succeed for a time - with help from Dubya - or is my memory of that period misleading me? notes from no w here
As for what did five sixths of the voters deserting the SPD do: the largest group of them stayed home, but sizeable chunks went to all the other parties, too. From ARD:
(Although this is the official release of this poll analysis, curiously it excludes "others", you see those here.) *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
