GERMAN CHANCELLOR Angela Merkel faces questions about her leadership after the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) looked set to lose power in its political power base last night.
Voters in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg appeared to draw a line under half a century of CDU rule yesterday, defecting in record numbers to the Green Party.
Nuclear energy fears prompted by the Japanese crisis meant its vote doubled, with the party well-placed to appoint its first Green state premier.
Exit polls suggested a tight result, giving the Greens a majority of just one seat in coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD).
Tumultuous applause erupted on Stuttgart’s Schlossplatz last night as middle-aged, middle-class, lifelong CDU voters celebrated their mass defection to the Greens – and the resulting political upheaval.
Amid frenetic cheers and hugs, they had a clear message for CDU state premier Stefan Mappus: “Mappus Go! Mappus Go!”
“I accept full responsibility for the result,” said a sheepish-looking Mr Mappus, adding hastily: “But I see no reason to look towards Berlin over this.” He survived another political crisis last autumn: widespread protest over the unpopular “Stuttgart 21” multibillion euro redevelopment of the city’s main train station.
The CDU-FDP government stood firm against protesters drawn from its own middle-class voting pool and supported by the Green Party.
Confident the worst was over, the ruling coalition was unprepared for the repercussions of the Fukushima disaster. With uncharacteristic haste, the pro-nuclear chancellor did a U-turn and shut down seven nuclear power plants temporarily, including one in Baden-Württemberg. But voters smelled an election stunt – something a Merkel minister appeared to confirm last week – and abandoned the CDU and Stefan Mappus, also a nuclear power advocate. Well-heeled conservatives last night rallied around the ideal Green Party candidate, the conservative 62-year-old Winfried Kretschmann.
“We’ve managed a historical election result,” said the grey-haired, bespectacled politician, “thanks to those who voted for us, particularly those who voted for us for the first time”. Exit polls put the CDU down five points to 39 per cent, with the Greens up 12 points to 25 per cent – with the SPD on 24 per cent.
It was a disastrous evening too for Dr Merkel’s coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP). Its vote was halved and the party will be lucky to scrape into the new parliament.
Party leader Guido Westerwelle, pre-empting another likely leadership heave – the second in six months – portrayed the vote as a referendum on nuclear energy.
“This was a vote on the future of nuclear energy in Germany and we have heard the answer loud and clear,” said Mr Westerwelle, the foreign minister. “That won’t just be discussed in the state party committees but also in Berlin.” The FDP crashed out of parliament in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate, where a poll left the SPD on track to retain power.