Schroeder and Merkel campaign ahead of final vote
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and challenger Angela Merkel were to campaign today in the eastern German city of Dresden as they seek a boost in their power struggle from a weekend vote that will conclude Germany’s national election.
The Dresden district, with 219,000 eligible voters, had its vote delayed from September 18 after a candidate for a far-right party died shortly before the election.
Sunday’s vote is not expected to change substantially the inconclusive result that emerged in the rest of Germany, but both leaders are hoping to gain a psychological advantage as they prepare for coalition talks.
The outcome could marginally extend or erode the thin lead held by Merkel’s conservatives.
Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and their Bavaria-only sister party, the Christian Social Union, currently have 225 seats in the new parliament. Schroeder’s Social Democrats have 222.
