German Federal Election 2017 - or alternatively "the end"

What the hell was that?

 

America is no longer the only cyber terrorist on the block. Sooner than later China will make it's move and join the party. Seems Trump is attempting to pre-emptive strike (with his rhetoric and economical attacks) but China is still decades if not generations away from making their move. As they see Western Civilization nose dive - might as well grab popcorn and wait for us to self-destruct

 

haha. Do you ever foresee Germans getting over their Nazi complex? I read multinational forums and Germans are always taking the same tiresome angles, where is the diversity in thought?

 

Was this discussed?


Report: Germany planned to close border at height of 2015 refugee crisis
As thousands of refugees walked to Germany in September 2015, Merkel's government was ready to close the border, a report has found. The plan was stopped at the last minute only because no one wanted the responsibility.
http://www.dw.com/en/report-germany...r-at-height-of-2015-refugee-crisis/a-37817614



Good lord, how can she be rewarded with yet another term. I dunno if Schulz is the answer but much like Hillary, it might be best for Mrs.Merkel to ride off into the sunset.

 

She is basically the only adult running a major western country and has been the only adult in the room since she first won office. She is not perfect. She mishandled the refugee crisis, but everyone did -- she acted out of a humanitarian impulse. I's take her over the last four presidents we have had

 

From my understanding, as you said "acted out of a humanitarian impulse" was the first time in her career that she did act out of character. In a way, I hope for her and Germany's sake that she is given the opportunity to rebound. Otherwise Hitler and Merkel jokes would be nauseating.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...land-election-spd-angela-merkel-martin-schulz

According to projections the CDU has increased its seats in Saarland, the Greens are out of the Saar parliament and the SPD is flat. So it looks like another grand coalition for "mini Merkel".

 

China doesn't really need to make any other moves that they are already making. Everything seems to be going great for them. They basically already are a superpower, but at the moment they handle it a lot smarter than the US does. At least to Europeans and other far away countries they come of as rather unthreatening more like they are looking for cooperation rather than dominion. How this whole thing develops if and when a larger part of Chinese society are reaping the benefits of better living standards and better education will be a very interesting phase in their development.

I really don't think it was a humanitarian impulse. I think she made that decision like she made other controversial decisions in the past - by looking what the popular opinion is. What a lot of people forget is that - according to several polls at the time - the majority of the German population was supportive of a more welcoming stance toward refugees. That majority didn't last long after the fact however but hindsight is 20-20.

Also it is important to realize that a lot of those refugees where already inside the EU at the time, being a great burden to other EU members in a time where the EU was under a great deal of scrutiny and anti EU sentiment was on the rise. Opening the borders and not insisting on the Dublin 2 or 3? rules (border countries basically having to deal with refugees on their own) be held up relieved some of this pressure. Especially because Germany only a few years back blocked new EU rules concerning the joint treatment and distribution of refugees, basically because the current rules greatly benefit non border countries (like Germany).

She tried to sell it as a humanist measure. I think that was the biggest mistake she made to be honest because it kicked off a secondary wave of opportunists trying to enter Europe as refugees from other countries, mainly from North Africa (but also eastern Europe) which have a really really low chance to actually be accepted as refugees overloading the already overloaded system even more and are having a rather negative effect on the whole refugee situation.

 

I don't mean to sound rude, but what is -- a bellwether or something that does not matter?

As for Saarland itself, I was surprised to learn that it has mostly been lead by the CDU over its short history.

 

So what you are saying is that if Merkel coalition loses in NRW, then it is a bellwether, but if they win then it is not very important.

 

NRW is a place where there has been one CDU Minister-President in 50 years and that was for one term (2005-2010). I would think it would be easy for the SPD to hold that.

 

I still think that Angie will pull it off. Having said that, in the event that Martin is the winner, will that change dramatically Germany politics towards the EU? From what I have been able to read about him, that should not be the case, right?

 

The SPD also has more options to form coalitions correct? in the very real chance that no party gets a majority of the vote.