2013 Elections in Germany

[Tender Branson]

What's the problem?

Steinbrück

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Obviously Steinbrück has not always behaved in an entirely comradely way towards international comrades, but there's no obvious problem in letting bygones be bygones.

[Franzl]

Forsa, 06.02.2013, Federal Election:

CDU/CSU: 41%
SPD: 25%
Grüne: 15%
Linke: 7%

FDP: 4%
Piraten: 3%

Red-green with no majority (40-48).
CDU with no majority (41-47).

[Tender Branson]

Some trouble for Merkel:

University Revokes German Official’s Doctorate

By CHRIS COTTRELL
Published: February 5, 2013

BERLIN — A German university has moved to strip the country’s education minister of her academic title after ruling that she plagiarized parts of her doctoral dissertation some 30 years ago.

A body of scholars at Heinrich Heine University in Düsseldorf voted late Tuesday to revoke the doctorate of Education Minister Annette Schavan, a leading member of the governing Christian Democrats and a close confidante of Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to a statement made available on the university’s Web site.

The case against Ms. Schavan represented the second time a member of Ms. Merkel’s cabinet had had such problems with long-ago academic work. In 2011 Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a leading member of the Bavarian-based Christian Social Union, the sister party of Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democrats, left politics after it was revealed that he plagiarized parts of his dissertation.

Ms. Schavan was an outspoken critic of Mr. Guttenberg’s academic failings at the time.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/06/world/europe/german-university-revokes-minister-annette-schavans-doctorate.html

...

Notice the hypocrisy ...

[Franzl]

Guttenberg, at least, resigned even before his title was revoked. Schavan seems like she wants to fight.

[ERvND]

This scandal will have no consequences. Schavan is going to sue the university, effectively burying the issue until the court decides - which will be after the elections.

Maybe, if there are signs she will lose her case (which is likely), she might retire "for health reasons" after the federal election.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

How fantastically German.

[You kip if you want to...]

What a bizarre thing for it to come out 30 years after the fact.

[Franzl]

Infratest dimap, 07.02.2013, Federal Election

CDU/CSU: 39%
SPD: 29%
Grüne: 15%
Linke: 6%

FDP: 4%
Piraten: 3%

Red-Green almost at a majority (44-45).

[minionofmidas]

What a bizarre thing for it to come out 30 years after the fact.

The Guttenberg case lead to people looking over more politicians' doctoral theses.
Westerwelle's, btw, is incredibly thin on content, very badly written, but evidently not a case of plagiarism.

[Franzl]

Schavan has resigned.

[Franzl]

09.02.2013, GESS (Hamburger Abendblatt), Hamburg (State Election)

SPD: 51%
CDU: 23%
Grüne: 13%

Linke: 4%
Piraten: 2%
FDP: 2%

SPD retains absolute majority (51-36).

[minionofmidas]

Schavan has resigned.

To be succeeded by Willy Johanna Wonka Wanka.

[reads] Wanka to take over
[thinks] who? what?
[clicks "read more" link]
[reads] Johanna Wanka named as successor
[thinks] I've heard that name, but where
[googles] She held the state equivalent post in Brandenburg 2000-9 and in Lower Saxony 2010-today. Which made her the first former GDR citizen (to the GDR's end, that is) to serve in a West German cabinet. She was also the Brandenburg CDU's leader candidate in the 2009 state elections.

[Leftbehind]

Wanka.

[minionofmidas]

It's slightly ironic that a few days ago, it was rumored that Merkel might pick Loser McAllister as a replacement should Schavan be untenable... and then she goes for a loser member of his cabinet instead.

[Leftbehind]

Loser McAllister is even funnier.

[Middle-aged Europe]

It's slightly ironic that a few days ago, it was rumored that Merkel might pick Loser McAllister as a replacement should Schavan be untenable... and then she goes for a loser member of his cabinet instead.

Maybe she has in fact asked McAllister and he turned her down?

[Franzl]

It's slightly ironic that a few days ago, it was rumored that Merkel might pick Loser McAllister as a replacement should Schavan be untenable... and then she goes for a loser member of his cabinet instead.

Maybe she has in fact asked McAllister and he turned her down?

I would say he needs more time to go over his dissertation, but he appears to not have "promoviert".

[King of Kensington]

The Left swings left

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

[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.

[Franzl]

Emnid, 10.02.2013, Federal Election:

CDU/CSU: 40%
SPD: 27%
Grüne: 15%
Linke: 7%

FDP: 4%
Piraten: 4%
sonstige: 3%

Red-Green with no majority (42-47).

[Franzl]

Emnid, 10.02.2013, Bavaria (state election)

CSU: 48%
SPD: 20%
Grüne: 12%
FW: 9%

FDP: 3%
Piraten: 3%
Linke: 2%

CSU absolute majority (48-41).

[Zanas]

The Left swings left

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

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

You know it has been 94% in the US and even 99.25% in the UK during a previous crisis, aka World War 2. That seems like a totally reasonable measure to me.

[Franknburger]

The Left swings left

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

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

You know it has been 94% in the US and even 99.25% in the UK during a previous crisis, aka World War 2. That seems like a totally reasonable measure to me.

Yes, especially as the Left has a number of older members that are well experienced in directing such government money inflow to where it is most effective...

[minionofmidas]

It's slightly ironic that a few days ago, it was rumored that Merkel might pick Loser McAllister as a replacement should Schavan be untenable... and then she goes for a loser member of his cabinet instead.

Maybe she has in fact asked McAllister and he turned her down?

It has been speculated.