Last September Germany held parliamentary elections, in those elections the leftists Social Democrats and the conservative Christian Democrats were virtually tied in members elected to the Bundestag. Since that time the two parties have been jockeying for positions. The conservatives were insistent that their leader, Angela Merkel, take the reigns as chancellor, while the leftist wanted Gerhard Schroeder to remain in the position.

Finally after much compromise, Merkel has been sworn in as Germany’s first female Chancellor and the first conservative government since the 90s, but after so much compromise it is doubtful Merkel will be effective. The CDU had to make several concessions on taxes, wages and other issues that figured prominently on the CDU campaign platform. Essentially, to become prime minister, the conservatives had to abandon their reform agenda and embrace the failed polices of Gerhard Schroeder’s leftist coalition. The leftist were not and have not been interested in reform, as a result, the German economy has languished for several years now, just like France. Growth is virtually no existent, unemployment exceeds 10% and there seems to be no hope in sight.

Germany’s one hope for change was destroyed when the sheepish German electorate fell for Schroeder’s leftist propaganda. We at the Phalanx predicted Schroeder would defy the polls and eek out a victory, and while Schroeder himself is no out of the picture, his legacy of failure lives on. So what can we expect from the Merkel government? Nothing, just more of the same and after a year or two this grand coalition will falter and the conservatives will be blamed even though it is the policies of the left and in many cases leftist ministers in the German government who have orchestrated this continued failure. Because Merkel will be blamed the Social Democrats will be swept again into power in 2007 or 2008 and the German’s will continue to pay the price for voting for the status quo.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-11-22-germany-merkel_x.htm