Word: spd
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...gained a reputation as a shrewd and effective negotiator. Her low-key foreign policy has been in keeping with the consensual style of government imposed on her by an electoral system that forced her Christian Democrats (CDU) into a grand coalition with the largest opposition party, the Social Democrats (SPD). But it's also the manifestation of a history that has left Germany reluctant to intervene in the affairs of other countries. (Read "Germany's Election: Divided They Stand...
...strike ordered by a German commander in Kunduz province resulted in high civilian casualties. But even on such a contentious issue as the war, there's precious little disagreement between the parties most likely to form a new government. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current Foreign Minister and the SPD's candidate for Chancellor, at one point appeared to suggest a timetable for German troop withdrawal, then beat a swift retreat from anything so radical. Steinmeier, Merkel and Guido Westerwelle, the leader of the Free Democrats (FDP) and a possible replacement for Steinmeier as Foreign Minister after the elections, have...
...Germans refer to the possible coalition combinations not by the parties' names but by their colors. Thus Merkel, whose party color is black, is said to be aiming to replace the current black and red (for the SPD) government with an alliance of black and gold (the FDP's color). But if her party fares badly on Sunday, Sept. 27, a multihued coalition may emerge: a "traffic-light" alliance of SPD, FDP and the Greens, or even a "Jamaica" grouping of CDU, FDP and the Greens, named after the colors of the Caribbean nation's flag. Both smaller parties have...
...Confused? Probably not as much as the candidates who start popping champagne corks election night only to crash to defeat. In 2002, the CDU looked set to secure a big enough share of the vote to overtake the SPD and oust the incumbent coalition of SPD and Greens. Polling stations closed at 6 p.m., and the CDU started celebrating as television broadcasters published the results of exit polls that seemed to confirm its victory. At 6:47 p.m., Edmund Stoiber, the leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) and a Chancellor candidate for both...
...this year's election could be just as exciting, even though the CDU leads the SPD by a much more substantial margin than it did in 2002 - by as many as 11 points, according to the most recent polls. Denied a majority with the FDP, Merkel could opt to retain the Grand Coalition or try to rope in an additional party. (Remember the "Jamaica" scenario?) Building a coalition - an elaborate dance of horse-trading and arm-twisting - could take several weeks. (Read "Small Parties Gain in German State Votes...