Social Democrat Party (SPD) - Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association

Can’t Beat Em, Ban Em: Governing German Party Suggests Banning Surging Populist Opposition AfD

KURT ZINDULKA | Breitbart — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 19:41:30 +0000

The leader of the left-wing Social Democrat Party (SPD) of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has suggested banning the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party amid the right-wing populist party’s surge in the polls.

SPD leader Saskia Esken said this week that an outright ban of the AfD should not be off the table to protect democracy, claiming that the party uses “every topic to incite people” which she said is “clearly anti-democratic”.

“Such a party ban is rightly subject to high hurdles. But I am convinced that we should keep reviewing it,” Esken told the German dpa news agency. “It is important that we talk about banning the AfD and that voters are shaken up.”

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Source: https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2024/01/03/cant-beat-em-ban-em-governing-german-party-suggests-banning-populist-opposition-afd-amid-surge-in-polls/

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Merkel on brink: Support for Germany coalition PLUMMETS to ALL-TIME LOW

Ciaran McGrath — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 21:03:05 +0000

SUPPORT for Angela Merkel’s German coalition has plummeted to its lowest ever level, a new poll has suggested, with the beleaguered Chancellor beset by problems on all sides as she desperately tries to hold her Government together.

Angela Merkel’s coalition is more unpopular than it has ever been, the poll suggests (Image: GETTY)

The ARD DeutschlandTrend survey put support for Mrs Merkel’s conservative alliance – between her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU) – at 28 percent, down one point from September 6, its lowest ever figure.

Mrs Merkel, who has led Germany since 2005, only narrowly averted the collapse of her coalition government in June after a row between the CDU and the CSU over immigration policy.

The conservative sister parties and their Social Democrat Party (SPD) junior coalition partners this week agreed to oust the head of the BfV domestic agency over accusations that he harboured sympathies to the far-right – but only by effectively giving him a promotion.

The decision to give Hans-Georg Maassen a deputy minister position at the interior ministry was derided as a bad compromise which allowed the ruling parties to paper over deep differences which could make their coalition unworkable.

Mr Maassen had come under fire after questioning the veracity of a video appearing to show foreigners being attacked on the streets of Chemnitz by neo-Nazi extremists – in direct contradiction to Mrs Merkel.

He was defended by interior minister – and CSU leader – Horst Seehofer, who is now his direct boss.

However, the CSU has since hinted the decision to give him a new job could now be reversed in response to the criticism.

The telephone poll of 1,035 people, which was conducted between September 17 and 19, also indicated far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) could expect to be the second-largest party in the German Parliament, were an election held tomorrow.

CSU leader Horst Seehofer is also widely unpopular, according to the survey (Image: GETTY)

The AfD stand on 18 percent, with the SPD on 17 percent, and the Greens on 15 percent.

Overall, the so-called grand coalition would receive 45 percent, meaning a similar alliance next time round would not be possible.

The survey also suggests Mr Seehofer’s popularity has also taken a hit, possibly as a result of recent clashes over immigration, with just 28 percent approving of the job he was doing, compared with 59 percent disapproving.

Speaking about the decision to move Mr Maassen into Mr Seehofer’s department, Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democratic Party, which took nine percent in the poll, described the situation as a “farce”.

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Schulz leaves Germany in CHAOS as resignation puts Merkel at bigger risk of new election

Simon Osborne — Thu, 15 Feb 2018 13:18:02 +0000

ANGELA Merkel’s hopes of finally stitching together a coalition government in Germany have been thrown into chaos after civil war broke out amongst her Social Democrat allies following the resignation of their leader Martin Schulz.

Schulz quits as SPD leader after refusing to serve under Merkel

Fresh national elections are moving closer to reality with the SPD deeply divided over its support for backing Ms Merkel throughout a fourth term in office.

Mr Schulz’s decision to stand down was made after he lost the confidence of the party membership but a row immediately broke out over attempts to install Andrea Nahles as new leader without a contest.And the latest row threatens fresh instability for Mrs Merkel desperately trying to cling onto a fourth term in power.

Ms Nahles, the 47-year-old former employment minister, remains favourite to succeed Mr Schulz and become the first woman to lead the party but Simone Lang, the relatively unknown mayor of Flensburg, a small city near the Danish border, has announced she will stand and force a vote.

GETTY

Martin Schulz’s resignation has thrown Angela Merkel’s coalition bid into chaos

GETTY

Martin Schulz stood down after losing the confidence of his party

Each of us would be well advised to put the interest of the party and the country before their own ambitions

Ralf Stegner

Three powerful SPD regional associations have also declared they will block any attempts to appoint Ms Nahles as interim leader until an election can be held.The crisis comes just a week before the start of a postal vote by the SPD’s 460,000 members on whether to join a new coalition under Mrs Merkel.

The postal ballot on whether the party should go ahead with the agreement its leaders clinched last week to renew their power sharing alliance with Mrs Merkel’s conservative bloc opens on February 20.

The coalition deal envisages stronger Franco-German cooperation, allocating budget funds for economic stabilisation in Europe, increased German contributions to the EU budget, and transforming the ESM bailout fund into a European Monetary Fund.

GETTY

Andrea Nahles is tipped to succeed Martin Schulz

But EU reform, which has moved up the agenda with Britain poised to leave the bloc next year, is an issue that fails to resonate with many party members who are more concerned with jobs and working conditions.Many within the SPD harbour misgivings about sharing power with Mrs Merkel, believing the party should rebuild in opposition after suffering its worst result in last September’s election since Germany became a federal republic in 1949.

Results are due on March 4 and “no” vote would almost certainly mean new elections and yet more uncertainty in Germany.

Ms Nahles is trying to persuade wavering party members to support the coalition deal but it is not clear whether she will be able to do so as leader.

Kevin Kühnert, the leader of the party’s youth wing and chief opponent of a new coalition, said the way emerged as frontrunner without any meaningful debate was an example of the “old politics” he was trying to end. Ms Nahles is still backed by most of the current leadership and several senior officials have stepped in to try to restore calm.Malu Dreyer, regional prime minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, said: “The SPD cannot remain leaderless. It was right when Martin Schulz proposed Andrea Nahles take over the interim leadership.”

Ralf Stegner, the regional SPD leader in Schleswig-Holstein, said: “Each of us would be well advised to put the interest of the party and the country before their own ambitions. No more indiscipline in the SPD.”

But three regional associations led by the powerful Berlin local party said installing Ms Nahles as interim leader is against party rules and one of the current deputies should step in until members can vote on a new leader.

A formal election will now have to be held after Ms Lange declared her candidacy.

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Angela Merkel’s CDU backs German government ‘grand coalition’ strategy

Deutsche Welle — Mon, 27 Nov 2017 20:40:26 +0000

The Christian Democratic Union led by Chancellor Angela Merkel has thrown its support behind pursuing a new alliance with the Social Democrats (SPD). Merkel has stressed the importance of a stable German government.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Monday for “serious, engaged and honest” negotiations with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP), as she reaffirmed her desire to form a stable government.

She said that there were national and international expectations that Germany should “be able to function effectively.”

SPD leader Martin Schulz, who immediately after his party’s poor showing in September elections had rejected the idea of another “grand coalition,” has meanwhile given more indications that he is moving away from any rigid position on the issue.

“No options are off the table,” he said on Monday, though he added that there was no saying where preliminary talks, scheduled to begin on Thursday, would lead.

Desire for stability

Merkel met with several other leaders in her center-right Christian Democratic (CDU) party in Berlin on Sunday to formulate a plan as Germany enters its second month without a new government.

After four and a half hours of deliberation, CDU officials told reporters they had agreed to pursue a new alliance with the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) to once again form a “grand coalition.”

“We have the firm intention of forming an effective government,” Daniel Günther, conservative premier of the state of Schleswig Holstein, told reporters. “We firmly believe that this would not come from a minority government, but instead an alliance with a parliamentary majority. That is a grand coalition.”

Before the meeting, the head of the Christian Social Union — the CDU’s Bavarian sister party — also threw his weight behind a “grand coalition.”

“An alliance of the conservatives and the SPD is the best option for Germany — better anyway than a coalition with the Free Democrats and the Greens, new elections or a minority government,” Horst Seehofer told German tabloid Bild am Sonntag.

Source: http://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkels-cdu-backs-german-government-grand-coalition-strategy/a-41539014

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