2011 State Elections in Germany

[Jens]

Spain (regionals), Finland, Thailand, Argentina, Estonia, Nicaragua certainly don't count.

Glad that you didn't include Denmark on that list It will probably be one of the most exciting parliamentary elections in many years.
That said, I am looking forward to the BW election as a test of the Green Party's actual strength.

[Jens]

Question to Hashemite:

Do you know the best Green result in any regional or national election in any country in Europe ?

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_of_Greens_and_Farmers

19.6% in 2010?

The Danish Socialist Party (SF) is more of a Green Party that ZZS in my opinion. Last regional elections: 19,0 % in the Capital Region. Last municipal elections (2009): 22,2 % in Copenhagen, 28,4 % in Lolland (29,5 % in  2005)

Latvia still had the first Green PM Indulis Emsis in 2004

Ecolo got 18,5 % in the Walloon parlament in 2009 and 19,2 in Bruxelles parlament same year (Ecolo & Groen! combined)

[Jens]

It seems the Left is becoming more and more irrelevant across Germany.

Not very surprising. The Left is usually disregarded in news coverage, and when something is reported about the party for a change it is about the constant infighting and internal bickering which has been happening there since at least the 2009 election. At least the FDP receives almost constant media coverage, even if it is a very negative one.

The media ignores the Left and the Left is concerned with fighting itself than fighting other political parties most of the time.

In a country where all the parties, except for Die Linke, form government somehow, somewhere, at sometime, with someone, irrelevency catches up to you since neither the SPD or the CDU/CSU (or even the Greens, who apparently, are becoming big players) want anything to do with you.

Die Linke is part of the government in Brandenburg and Berlin, so they aren't completely irrelevant, but under pressure from a very popular Green Party.

[Jens]

From what I heard my f'ing stupid party is going to do f'ing stupid things again and is ready to join in as a junior partner in a Grand coalition, despite having the best chances to became the strongest party after early elections and for party leader Heiko Maas to become Minister president then (either in a SPD/CDU or a SPD/Left coalition).

Not to late to give up hope, but things sound bad.


Edit: As "Old Europe" pointed out I got the first name of the SPD-Saarland leader wrong.

Why do SPD insist on killing it self by being junior partner in grand coalitions? I makes very little sense!