- German elections: Despite weekend polls giving the CDU/CSU opposition a 13% lead, another recent poll reckons that Gerhard Schr�der remains Germany’s preferred Chancellor. Will Merkel’s latest announcement tip the balance, or has it already been tipped? Confusing, this polling business – we need a German Anthony Wells…
German elections roundup
August 30, 2005
August 30, 2005 at 4:12 pm
My advice to Herr Gerhard: run once again on a staunchly anti-Bush plank
He could promise the closing of all US/NATO bases on German soil – after all, what�s their use now that Russia is back on the right side of civilization
He could also offer political refugee status to President Saddam Hussein: the man had class to spare, always very elegant in his dark grey suit and tie- whereas �Grand� Ayatollah Al-Sistani always wears a dirty Persian silk napkin on his head!
Saddam knew how to shoot straight from the hip, and he had a penchant for vintage handcrafted European rifles such as the ManuFrance triple-barreled Buffalo-Mittraille (a masterpiece), and he certainly knew how to make good use of it notably on renegade Shiite fundamentalists �
Dr Victorino de la Vega http://mideastmemo.blogspot.com/
August 30, 2005 at 4:47 pm
I've updated the German polling figures here.
The figures to watch on the German polls aren't the gap between the CDU/CSU and the SDP, but the sum of the CDU/CSU and FDP figures – or more specifically, if they are over 50%.
A couple of months ago they were well above 50%. August has been a bit dicey, with the combined figure often falling to 49%. Once parties that fall below the 5% threshold are excluded, 49% would probably be enough to scrape a meagre majority for the CDU/CSU+FDP, but it's too close for any real comfort. The most recent two polls however have shown the CDU/CSU+FDP back over the 50% mark.
On the left, while the SDP have gained some support – recent polls have them at 30% when a month or so ago they were marooned around the 26-27% mark – this is mostly at the expense of the new Left party, who seem to have peaked at the end of last month when they were regularly hitting 12%. Now they are are 10% or lower.