2013 Elections in Germany

[MaxQue]

I don't see what the issue is. In the Netherlands and in all the Scandinavian countries, social democratic parties routinely form coalitions or have vague support agreements with far left/Communist parties. Why is this so taboo in Germany?

Surely ever heard of the GDR?

[MaxQue]

FORSA, 09.01.2013, Federal Elections:

CDU/CSU: 42% (+1)
SPD: 25% (-2)
Grüne: 15% (+2)
Linke: 9% (+1)

FDP: 2% (-2)
Piraten: 3% (0)
Sonstige: 4% (0)

FDP down to only 2%, following the leadership discussion during their recent party conference!
SPD decrease continues. [Today's "Joke of the day" in my local newspaper: "What is the measurement unit for the average interval between two gaffes?" "One Steinbrück"]

Chancellorship preference:
Merkel           58% (+7)
Steinbrück     22% (-4)

I didn't through than FDP could go lower than where they were.

[MaxQue]

The Left swings left

http://www.thelocal.de/politics/20130201-47703.html

In other news, they aren't aware than Berlin Wall fell yet.

[MaxQue]

If I were SPD directionship, I'd try to depose Steinbrück immediately. Draft Steinmeier or Gabriel to do a damage control or Kraft to try to win.

Why wouldn't those would want to run, instead of waiting 2017? That one will be more winnable than this year.

[MaxQue]

"Each family is different. And of special importance to us" (CDU - together successful).

Doesn't look like a very 'different' family to me.

It's different. The man cooks! How he dares not leaving all the household chores to his woman, as any traditionnal man?

[MaxQue]

So what you're actually saying is that you want to see FPTP introduced in Germany.

Yes, that's indeed what I propose. As long as you have proportional representation, the establishment of splinter groups is encouraged. But install FPTP and you'll see how fast SPD, Greens and Pirates would overcome their mutual reservations.

Of course, the introduction of a FPTP system in Germany is something we will never see. The Grand coalition should have introduced it in the 60s. Now, it's too late, and discussing it would really be pointless.

And you're the very reason why SPD is in decline. People having silly hopes of hegemony.

[MaxQue]

With general regards to one line of discussion, as recently as 2005, the SPD polled 34% across Germany and as recently as 1998 managed 41%. And whatever may have changed irrevocably since, and whatever longterm factors may well (and certainly actually do)* lurk around, it is pathetic to blame the party's current lousy (federal) electoral situation entirely on things that are 'inevitable' or in some other way totally out of their control.

1998, 2002 and 2005 showed how much impact a popular leader and good campaigner (in this case, Schröder) can have. No doubt, such things can and will happen again. The general trend, however, remains intact. Just take a look at the following chart (SPD trendline by me). It shows that the SPD has been in a more or less steady decline since 1972. The seven-year-interval between 1998 and 2005 constitutes a deviation, after which the vote share reverted back to the trendline. So, the 23% result in 2009 was actually no shocking, outrageous aberration, but completely in line with a trend that's been going on for over 40 years now.

That is reminding of Liberals in Canada, in decline since the early 80's, with a bump in the 1993-2004 era.

[MaxQue]

With automatic translation, I got:

SDP 45%
Greens 31%
Left 31%
FDP 14%
CDU/CSU 10%

Not very surprising.

[MaxQue]

How would Germany's 14-17 year olds vote ? Infratest Dimap polled 500 of them:

Is this more evidence of young people Worldwide are leaning more to the right, apart from their US counterparts who are moving to the left

As the right is polling lower in this poll than in the elections polls, I don't see how this is a possible conclusion.