State elections in Germany: can the left come back? | 78 comments (78 topical, editorial, 0 hidden)

This was May 2003, when Dubya, Cheney & the neocons showed whom they'd really like, by accepting Koch for a short-order visit after turning down Merkel for long. But ice-cold tactician Merkel even campaigned for Koch:

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 01:31:35 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 2)

For-show campaigning. She could not let a powerful CDU member like Koch drop, publicly. But her position in the CDU will be strengthened as a result of him losing (and exiting politics, one hopes).

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 01:51:00 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 2)

In other words, ice-cold tactician :-)

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 01:56:29 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 2)

Do German politicians actually leave politics after these kinds of defeats ?

Damn. If only French politicians could copy them on that.

Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères

by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 02:00:21 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 2)

Often, but it happens that losers get into the federal government. For example, current environment minister Sigmar Gabriel used to be Schröder's successor as Lower Saxony PM, then was beaten and Wulf succeeded him. I'd hope Merkel feels strong enough now to prevent such a route for Koch.

_{*Lunatic*, n.

One whose delusions are out of fashion.}

by DoDo on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 02:03:45 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 2)

If Koch steps down and calls the party for a favour Merkel will promote him away. New York, one hopes, not Brussels.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 02:09:48 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 2)

Yes. There are advisory boards to be sat at.

I would not be surprised if Koch does not step down. He's a pernicious [expletive] like that. But hopefully the CDU state party in Hessen is not entirely beholden.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 02:12:57 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 3)

As a backgrounder to DoDo's statements: the Minister-Presidents of the German states have for a long time held a remarkable amount of power. This is because first, the States have a lot of power themselves, second, the states also form the German upper house (Bundesrat), and the Bundesrat is dominated by the CDU (supermajority) to an extent where it can in practice block nearly all legislation.

Four of the current Minister-Presidents of the CDU are part of a political career pact (Andenpakt). A further Andenpakt member is in Merkel's government, and yet another is now President of the European Parliament. So speaking to Roland Koch is not like talking to the Governor of, say, Illinois. He was one of the most powerful politicians in German politics of the last 6-odd years.

by nanne (zwaerdenmaecker@gmail.com) on Sun Jan 27th, 2008 at 02:30:51 PM EST
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Re: First projections (4.00 / 2)

Koch: