Our longtime friends in Bremen report that the Green Party has beaten German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats in today's election in the city-state.
Deutsche Welle reported:
Exit polls in the city-state of Bremen indicate that the incumbent coalition of Social Democrats and Greens can continue governing but have propelled Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) into third place.
"For the first time in the history of the German Federal Republic, we are ahead of the CDU in a regional election," said one of the Green's federal leaders, Claudia Roth.
The Social Democrats (SPD), who have governed Bremen for 66 years, took 38 percent of the vote, while their Green allies won 23 percent. Support for Merkel's CDU fell four percentage points from the last poll in 2007 to 21.5 percent; the party's worst result in Bremen in 52 years.
The New York Times speculates that
If the trend for the Greens continues in future regional elections in coming months, they are in a strong position as a potential kingmaker for the federal elections due in 2013. Opinion polls show that if elections were held right away, Mrs. Merkel’s center-right coalition would be soundly defeated by a coalition of Social Democrats and Greens.
What is not clear is whether Mrs. Merkel, whose party is expected to remain the largest party after the 2013 federal elections, would consider a coalition with the Greens.
The Pinal County Greens congratulate the Green Party of Germany and particular Die Grünen in the wonderful city-state of Bremen.
