Schroeder gets some comfort from election defeat
Germany’s governing Social Democrats emerged from local elections in the country’s most populous state trailing well behind the conservative opposition.
But party leaders were relieved today that they avoided major new losses.
Yesterday’s election of councils and mayors in North Rhine-Westphalia, a traditional stronghold of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s party, was this year’s last electoral test. Amid widespread anger over Schroeder’s drive to trim the welfare state, his party has been battered in a string of state elections over recent months.
The Social Democrats polled 31.7% across the state that includes the industrial Ruhr region, compared with 33.9% five years ago.
The main opposition Christian Democrats, who won by a landslide in 1999 during an early dip in the government’s popularity, lost more heavily. They slid to 43.4% from 50.3%, while two smaller parties gained.
Both sides said the outcome boosted their confidence for elections to the state parliament next May, when the Christian Democrats hope to oust Schroeder’s party after decades of dominance. Amid dismal poll ratings, the Social Democrats had set their immediate sights on defending their already poor result from five years ago.
“This is not a result that gives us cause to celebrate, but it’s a good basis on which to work,” the Social Democrats’ chairman, Franz Muentefering said. “We have seen clearly in recent weeks that the atmosphere has improved, and so we were able to keep the result nearly stable.”
Despite its own losses, the opposition insisted that there was no sign of a turnaround for Schroeder’s party.
“I’m extremely happy with this result,” said the Christian Democrats’ leader, Angela Merkel. “The signals point clearly to a change in North Rhine-Westphalia.”
Schroeder launched his programme to trim health care, jobless benefits and other social programmes last year, saying the welfare state must be trimmed to stop the rise of labour costs, spark Europe’s largest economy and reduce unemployment.
His party has gained confidence from a better-than-expected performance last weekend in the eastern state of Brandenburg, arguing that more and more Germans are recognising the need for reforms.
