Ampel-Angst

Yesterday was a black day for one of Germany's major parties. This time, I am not writing about the Social Democrats but the Christian Democrats (CDU), Konrad Adenauer's, Helmut Kohl's, and Angela Merkel's once-dominant party.

Distressed top Christian candidate Susanne Eisenmann (©Ulli Decke/dpa)

During long periods in the past, the CDU was the governing party in the two states Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg; yesterday, the Christian Democrats had historically bad results of -4.1% and -2.9% resp.

This morning on national television:  
CDU chairman and candidate for the chancellorship Armin Laschet
 trying to downplay the crushing defeat.

Winfried Kretschmann's Message: You know me

The elections confirmed that governors have an advantage of incumbency, particularly in times of crisis. While in Rhineland-Palatinate, Ministerpräsidentin Malu Dreyer successfully defended her "red" traffic light coalition (rote Ampelkoalition)* Ministerpräsident Winfried Kretschmann was triumphant with his Greens in the Ländle.
*Social democrats (SPD, red), the Greens, and Free Democrats (FDP, the Liberals, yellow)

Here are the results for the Ländle.

©BZ/Rita Eggstein

Yesterday, Red Baron cast his vote at the Walter-Eucken-Gymnasium (high school). Here are the results of constituency 46, Freiburg east, and Upper Black Forest:

The Greens topped their previous result from 2016 and left Manual Herder far behind. He commented, "It was obviously not the ideal time for me to run for political office. Nevertheless, I don't want to miss a single day of this election campaign; it allowed me many conversations and insights into our society that I would never have had otherwise. I take the result as it is." 

The Social Democrats limited their losses, the right-wing Alternative for Germany was trimmed, and the socialists, Die Linke gained 2%. More and more splinter groups try their luck in elections, but they have to gain individually at least 5% to be presented in a German parliament. Nevertheless, all their votes amount to an impressive 6.1%.

Malu Dreyer's "red" traffic light coalition in Rhineland-Palatinate was successful. So the father of the Ländle Winfried Kretschmann may be tempted to opt for a grüne Ampelkoalition in Baden-Württemberg.

To take up Karl Marx's text, "A specter is haunting the Christian Democrats in Baden-Württemberg - the specter of a "green" traffic light coalition." In fact, the CDU is full of Ampel-Angst, i.e., losing participation in the state government.

*