Editor in Chief: Moh. Reza Huwaida Friday, March 29th, 2024

Merkel Government Braces for High-Stakes German State Election

Merkel Government Braces for  High-Stakes German State Election

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling coalition faces its second test in as many weeks on Sunday when voters go to the polls in the western state of Hesse for a regional election that could torpedo the national government.
Should Merkel’s conservative ally in Hesse, Volker Bouffier, lose his post as state premier, the chancellor’s enemies will be emboldened ahead of her Christian Democrats’ (CDU) party congress in early December and may try to hasten her demise.
The other risk for Merkel is that her SPD coalition partners come third in Hesse, which is home to financial hub Frankfurt. Such an outcome would increase pressure from the SPD’s rank-and-file for the party to pull out of the coalition with Merkel in Berlin.
A growing swell of SPD members feel their party is tarnished by its alliance with Merkel and would be best to rebuild in opposition - a scenario SPD leader Andreas Nahles has resisted.
“It is not advisable for the SPD to act hastily or recklessly,” Nahles said ahead of the vote.
Merkel’s preferred successor as leader of her conservatives, CDU Secretary General Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, has also warned the SPD that pulling out of the ruling coalition after the Hesse vote would trigger a federal election. (Reuters)