They have polled better than expected in regional elections across Germany this year. The SPD has retained its place or entered into a coalition government for the first time in all seven States where elections have taken place. Many commentators predicted that the left would be ousted by the Greens in Berlin, but the incumbent SPD Mayor, Klaus Wowereit, comfortably held on to his post and majority.
The big losers were the right-wing Free Democrats who failed to gain more than 5 per cent of the vote and so lost all their 13 seats in the capital’s legislature. This, too, confirmed a trend seen in other regions and the collapse of the FDP vote poses a major problem for Mrs Merkel who needs their support as coalition partners to continue as Chancellor.
The FDP has irritated Mrs Merkel by its vocal in opposition to German backing for the Greek bailout and the party ran a fiercely Eurosceptic campaign in Berlin. Nevertheless, it would be premature to assume that the rout of the FDP and consolidation of the SPD, which has been more sympathetic to the Greek case, will lead to a more positive stance toward the euro or the EU.
An opinion poll last week in Der Spiegel revealed that while eight out of 10 Germans are unhappy with the way that Mrs Merkel is handling the euro crisis a small majority also believes that the country is not benefiting from being in the euro zone. Yet the Berlin result has further weakened the Chancellor’s authority as leader of a fragile coalition and a more decisive policy for Europe remains unlikely until after a general election.
