Germany's Governing Parties Sag in State Election :: Namibia Internet Gateway cc ::

Articles: Germany's Governing Parties Sag in State Election

Posted by Admin on Monday, May 14, 2007 - 07:04 AM

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) won a regional poll in the northern city-state of Bremen on Sunday but both the SPD and Merkel's Christian Democrats conceded heavy losses to smaller parties.

Bremen mayor and SPD candidate Böhrnsen won the poll, but his party's not exactly jubilating

<i class="caption">Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Bremen mayor and SPD candidate Böhrnsen won the poll, but his party's not exactly jubilating

According to early estimates broadcast on public television, the Social Democrats remained the strongest party but lost four percentage points on their 2003 result to land at about 38 percent.

Voters also shaved four points off Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) result four years ago to give them around 25 percent.

The SPD, led by Mayor Jens Böhrnsen has governed for the past 12 years in Bremen with Chancellor Angela Merkel's CDU in a "grand coalition" that mirrors her federal one in Berlin.

Greens, Left Party the real winners

Meanwhile the opposition Greens made a strong showing at 16.5 percent -- making them a potential coalition partner in the smallest of Germany's 16 states. The party is not represented in a single state parliament and was voted out at the national level in September 2005.

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Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) won a regional poll in the northern city-state of Bremen o­n Sunday but both the SPD and Merkel's Christian Democrats conceded heavy losses to smaller parties.

Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) won a regional poll in the northern city-state of Bremen on Sunday but both the SPD and Merkel's Christian Democrats conceded heavy losses to smaller parties.