Germany's changing political landscape

Neither the ruling conservative-liberal coalition nor the social democratic camp can claim a clear majority after the elections in Germany's largest state North Rhine-Westphalia. The left-liberal Süddeutsche Zeitung analyses the election outcome with an eye to Germany's political landscape: "For a long time German politics was characterised by alternating coalition governments, comprising either the conservative CDU and the liberal FDP, or the social democratic SPD and the Green Party. Now however neither the CDU nor the SPD can win enough voters to continue this trend either in the east or in the west. When the Greens gain in strength it comes mostly at the expense of the SPD. However if the shrinking SPD agrees to an alliance with the Left Party even more voters will go over to the Greens, or even the CDU. For its part the FPD, as shaped by party leader Guido Westerwelle when it was in the opposition, attracts neither SPD voters nor - once burned twice shy - CDU supporters. The FDP, and particularly its leader who isn't even popular as foreign minister, have passed their political prime."

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