AT THE headquarters of the free-market Free Democrat Party (FDP) on September 24th activists gasped as the first exit poll results were read out: Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), their Bavarian sister party, were on just 32.5%, much lower than any poll had suggested. Then, a few seconds later, came a gargantuan cheer. The FDP had almost doubled its vote share to 9%. “If you keep cheering after every sentence this will be a long night!,” a visibly delighted Christian Lindner, the FDP leader, told the crowd.
Such was the story of the night. The CDU/CSU and their Social Democrat (SPD) coalition partners both did badly. Their joint vote share fell from 67.2% to 53.5%, its lowest ever (see chart 1). So grim was the SPD result that party leaders immediately announced that they would not be available for a second “grand coalition” with Mrs Merkel, even if asked. The FDP’s stellar result saw it comfortably clear the 5% hurdle needed to...Continue reading
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