PM Platzeck left it open whether he wants
to continue the Grand Coalition with the CDU or ally with the Left Party this time. Given that the federal SPD was left with one place to exert power, the federal upper house (Bundesrat, which consists of representatives of the regional governments of the 16 federal states), the second choice would be advisable (with a Grand Coalition, Brandenburg would be forced to abstain on issues the CDU and SPD disagree on).

The combined 3.96% for the three far-right parties (the two listed and the 0.2% for Republicans), who ended their strategic alliance in not running against each other, is a welcome drop, but still not reassuring. What should matter is whether the most extremist but dominant of them, the NPD, can maintain its local grass-roots presence. (Unless I am mistaken, with 2.5%, they'll get state funding...)

_{*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.}