by Jerome a Paris
Sun Aug 30th, 2009 at 12:13:17 PM EST
In addition to Japan, where the outgoing LDP is taking a historical beating (see tuasfait's diary for full coverage below), we have some regional elections in Germany today, which are seen as a key test one month away from the general election.
Deutsche Well has a good intro here:
All three states are currently governed by Chancellor Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union. If the CDU manages to hold onto power, Merkel's already leading position in the federal election will be strengthened. Her opponents in the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), who are lagging in the polls, hope Sunday's results will reinvigorate the demoralized party.
Sunday's vote could also rewrite Germany's political map, with a left-wing coalition between the SPD and the Left Party possible in Saarland, the first such grouping in western Germany. The liberal Free Democrats (FDP), who want a coalition with the CDU on the national level, are also hoping to pick up votes and enter state governments Sunday.
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