Who is it going to be?
at 9:41am on Tuesday, 20th September 2005
Firstly, I have to admit I think the various colour-coded names that are given to the different coalition options - 'traffic-light coalition', 'Jamaica coalition'- are quite fun. The latter has already been the object of numerous jokes, especially by Green foreign minister Joschka Fischer who said on the Radio last night that he couldn't imagine the Conservatives 'listening to Bob Marley music and smoking joints', adding that 'this is more something that we (the Greens) used to do' and thus he insisted 'a Jamaica coalition was imposssible'.
Then I think it is quite interesting that, contrary to the UK, political commentators in Germany constantly refer to the German electorate as the 'sovereign'. Listening to quite a lot of German radio in the last couple of days I have heard the phrases 'the sovereign has spoken' or 'the sovereign's will' quite often. (Just thought I might add this as a quirky little observation.)
Finally, on Sunday evening I was of course very pleased that the my own personal political worst case scenario had not materialised. But now that the initial excitment has passed I am getting increasingly worried whether the next few weeks will really be about determining 'the will of the sovereign' or more about satisfying individual politicians' lust for power.
I, for instance, would agree with Schroeder that the German electorate has not necessarily voted for Angela Merkel as the next chancellor, but I wouldn't then agree with his conclusion that this means the German electorate has endorsed him as chancellor. However, as long as Schroeder insists that he has a right to remain chancellor a grand coalition will be impossible. But I am not sure whether Germans wanted a 'traffic light' or 'Jamaica coalition'. Doesn't the almost equal numbers of votes for Conservative and Labour mean that Germans might have wanted a grand coalition? I think (or hope) that most Germans now realise that major changes have to be made and maybe they believe a grand coalition would be the best way to go about that?
Anyway, these are more questions than finished thoughts and any comments are, as usual, very welcome...
Firstly, I have to admit I think the various colour-coded names that are given to the different coalition options - 'traffic-light coalition', 'Jamaica coalition'- are quite fun. The latter has already been the object of numerous jokes, especially by Green foreign minister Joschka Fischer who said on the Radio last night that he couldn't imagine the Conservatives 'listening to Bob Marley music and smoking joints', adding that 'this is more something that we (the Greens) used to do' and thus he insisted 'a Jamaica coalition was imposssible'.
Then I think it is quite interesting that, contrary to the UK, political commentators in Germany constantly refer to the German electorate as the 'sovereign'. Listening to quite a lot of German radio in the last couple of days I have heard the phrases 'the sovereign has spoken' or 'the sovereign's will' quite often. (Just thought I might add this as a quirky little observation.)
Finally, on Sunday evening I was of course very pleased that the my own personal political worst case scenario had not materialised. But now that the initial excitment has passed I am getting increasingly worried whether the next few weeks will really be about determining 'the will of the sovereign' or more about satisfying individual politicians' lust for power.
I, for instance, would agree with Schroeder that the German electorate has not necessarily voted for Angela Merkel as the next chancellor, but I wouldn't then agree with his conclusion that this means the German electorate has endorsed him as chancellor. However, as long as Schroeder insists that he has a right to remain chancellor a grand coalition will be impossible. But I am not sure whether Germans wanted a 'traffic light' or 'Jamaica coalition'. Doesn't the almost equal numbers of votes for Conservative and Labour mean that Germans might have wanted a grand coalition? I think (or hope) that most Germans now realise that major changes have to be made and maybe they believe a grand coalition would be the best way to go about that?
Anyway, these are more questions than finished thoughts and any comments are, as usual, very welcome...
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