Two days to go to Ireland’s referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. With airwaves and letter-boxes now saturated with campaign sound bites and paraphernalia, the polls are saying it looks like Lisbon will be passed, though perhaps only by a slim margin. Still, in politics as elsewhere in life, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is always possible, and the Yes side is spending the remaining time engaged in frenetic yet cautious canvassing of the electorate. The No camp is still in the race, however, and has maintained its leading position in the “poster-impact” stakes from beginning to end. So…
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With 36,56% of the votes Socialist Party win the Portuguese elections but, as it was predicted, without the parliament majority. The biggest opposition party, Social Democratic Party (PSD) had 29,09% of the votes and was declared by all the political analysts as the “big looser” of this elections.
The biggest rise was Christian Democratic Party (CDS-PP) that went from 7,26% to 10,46% of the votes and elected 21 people against the 12 in 2005.
The left wings parties (BE and PCP-PEV) also increased their votes but not enough to provide a majority colligation with PS.
From now on, if PS doesn…
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Oh my God! The voter’s cake has been split up and the Social Democrats only get the crumbs. The Grand Coalition is over – the new German government will be formed by Christian Democrats and Liberals.
The final official result of the German federal elections is the following:
| Party |
Total vote (%) |
Change |
Seats Bundestag
(incl. excess mandates) |
| Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) |
33.8% (2005: 35.2%) |
[-1.4%] |
239 (2005: 226) |
| Social Democrats (SPD) |
23.0% (34.2%) |
[-11.2%] |
146 (222) |
| Liberals (FDP) |
14.6% (9.8 %) |
[+4.8%] |
93 (61) |
| Left (Die Linke) |
11.9% (8.7%) |
[+3.2%] |
76 (54) |
| The Greens (B90/G) |
10.7%… |
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Happy Hour für Schwarz-Gelb: Guido Westerwelle und Angela Merkel bei der TV-Runde der Spitzenkandidaten. Getty Images
As expected, fewer voters than ever before (72.5% vs 77.7% in 2005) have decided to give Germany a shot at what will be change and continuation in the same time. The results were a deep shock for anybody who sees beyond his own personal interests.
Continuity, since Angela Merkel will remain Chancellor. Change, since the new coalition-partner of the Angela Merkel’s Conservative Party (33.9% / -1.3%) will be the Liberal Party (14.6% / +4.8%) whose Chairman Guido We…
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Photo by Aaron Gershfield
I’m not a naturally born campaigner. My DNA is more about the rational view of the world. However I’m a human being, a political animal and one of the greatest fans of the various genres of theatre.
As such, I do have quite solid experience on what works ‘on stage’ and I’m also known to have a bastic instinct alerting me in which direction a threat might come. Maybe this instinct doesn’t always work in private life, but it definitely works when it comes to politics.
Having said this, one may understand that I feel guilty. Should I hav…
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