Macron’s call for new elections ‘took the room by surprise’

AFP

Scholz coalition suffers defeat in Germany’s European elections

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition suffered a crushing defeat in European elections on Sunday, with his government’s three parties trailing the conservatives and the far right, according to preliminary results. This result sparked calls from the victorious conservative CDU-CSU bloc in favor of center-left Scholz. to change course or pave the way for new elections. The opposition is increasing pressure just months before key regional elections in several eastern states, where the far right is expected to race to victory. Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD) recorded their worst result in history with 14 percent, third behind the far-right AfD with around 16 percent and well behind the conservative CDU bloc’s 30 percent. CSU. The Social Democrats’ coalition partners, the Greens, recorded 12 percent while the liberal FDP got 5 percent. This is a very bitter result for us,” said Kevin Kuehnert, general secretary of the SPD, adding that his party will have to examine what went wrong in its mobilization. Opposition conservatives said it was time for the coalition to rethink its policies. “The government really needs to think about this result… a political change is needed in Germany,” said CDU leader Friedrich Merz. “Things cannot continue as they have. ‘have done in the last two and a half years,’ he added. – A ‘new start’ – CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann said Scholz should call for a “vote of confidence” after the “The coalition must either change course or pave the way for new elections,” Linnemann said. , economics and climate protection,” wrote the popular German daily Bild. “We call it a new start. But since the (coalition) probably lacks the strength and insight to make a new start, the option would be early elections,” he predicts. Scholz’s three-way government has lurched from crisis to crisis since coming to power in December 2021, after his SPD defeated former Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives. Just months after taking office, the party had to deal with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting energy crisis, which plunged Germany into recession. Voter discontent remains high on issues ranging from climate laws to spending cuts, while crime and immigration are growing public concerns. The Greens in particular have been hurt by plans to transition Germany to renewable energy that require heavy investment spending. – Scholz unpopular -Public opinion also remains divided over how Scholz’s coalition has handled the war in Ukraine, with some strongly supporting his decision to supply weapons to kyiv, while others fear that support will lead to Germany in the war. A new party, BSW, which campaigned to stop arms deliveries to kyiv Ukraine, from the West, scored a staggering 5.7 percent, further splitting the vote, which experienced a turnout rate of around 65 percent, up from 61.4 percent in 2019. Scholz himself is also deeply unpopular, with only 37 percent approval ratings. The conservatives and social democrats have taken turns over the decades to take the lead in the polls in each electoral cycle. But the AfD’s strong performance could be a source of concern for mainstream parties, especially since it came despite a series of scandals surrounding the far-right in the race. -at the polls. The AfD’s result marks progress compared to its 2019 result, when it received 11 percent. This decision was taken even though the party had to ban its main candidate Maximilian Krah from campaigning, because he is under investigation for suspicious links with Russia and China. Krah’s comments downplaying the crimes of the notorious Nazi SS also led to the AfD’s expulsion from the party. far-right group in the European Parliament. AfD co-leader Alice Weidel said the results showed that “people have become more critical of Europe.” an alternative in this country.”hmn/dd