euro|topics - A new coalition model for Germany?

05/07/2009

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Main focus of Friday, April 18, 2008

A new coalition model for Germany?

Germany's Christian Democrats and the Greens signed a coalition agreement in the city state of Hamburg on Thursday April 17. This is Germany's first black-green coalition at a state level. Will it shake up the country's political scene?

Der Standard - Austria

With its black-green - or CDU-Green Party - coalition, the city of Hamburg has opened up a new political door, Birgit Baumann writes. "Twenty-three years after the first red-green coalition (in 1985 in Hessen), the first black-green alliance has been formed at a state level. And of course this Hamburg debut will have an impact far beyond the city limits - even if some are afraid to say this out loud. It's a step towards dissolving the political blockades in Germany and towards more competition between the parties. Basically, all the parties have already recognised this. ... The new rules of the game are that either all parties overcome their qualms and form new alliances or Germany will be ruled forever by an unpopular grand coalition." (18/04/2008)

Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany

"Black-green is perceived as a combination in keeping with spirit of the times," Heribert Prantl writes. "The SPD is no longer as red, the blacks [the CDU] no longer as black and the Greens no longer as green as they used to be. And then there's a new party, the Left party, that acts as provocatively as if they were the Greens of today. The Left party is politically as alternative as the Greens once were. The children who once ran away from conservatism are returning to it now, older and wiser. The Greens will be the junior partner of a party they once regarded as the party of a boring, superficial and ignorant bourgeoisie. And Ole von Beust [CDU], the head of government in Hamburg, is making it easy for them because he has a big heart: he once did it with the right-wing extremist Schill party and now he's doing it with the Greens. It isn't that he lacks principles, it's just politics." (18/04/2008)

Upsala Nya Tidning - Sweden

With reference to new political constellations in Germany the daily considers whether one day a closer cooperation between the liberal FDP and the Greens could be possible. "The two parties agree as far as lifestyle issues and their concept of the individual are concerned. Among sympathisers with the Greens there are certain voters who used to vote for the Liberals. Together these two parties could achieve a powerful position in German politics and become an attractive partner for both Christian Democrats and Social Democrats. ... In a government coalition with one of the major parties the Greens and the FDP could be a driving force in questions of values and economic reform." (18/04/2008)

» To the complete press review of Friday, April 18, 2008

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