Smart caring strong women win without Russia's help.

But she's still a right-winger. I guess I can take a glass half full approach, but the SPD/Die Linke results are disappointing.

And now Bloomberg is casting this as a "defeat" for Merkel based on the anticipated polling, mostly on account of AfD. This is not good.

Yes, the Trumpists are emboldened in Germany too

Just like the racist trumptards here in America. Sick f@ckers

Yesterday I read an article on KOS showing how Russia
is influencing people to move toward the right, particularly
with regard to immigration.

I guess it's working.

And 9% to an antifascist party as an extra safeguard if push comes to shove . Extreme right sits at around more or less 10% around the world and always has. That can be dealt with. When a quarter of the population is stupid and/or unwell and/or uneducated enough to scratch the fascist itch, it becomes a deep, long-lasting social problem. The barycentre of democracy is shifting back to Europe.

Merkel's was worse since 1959. For her coalition partner, it was the worst ever. According to Germans on twitter. Also something like 49% of voters sympathized with AfD.

Merkel is going to have to find a fix to the immigration crisis or Europe will unravel. The eastern European EU members are already in open rebellion. The UK is leaving without a trade agreement, and that's causing trouble for surrounding countries like Ireland and Belgium, who rely on trade with the UK. Spain is fracturing with conflict between Madrid and Catalonia. Someone needs to lead because Europe is sinking into a crisis. The only thing propping it up is good economic numbers, which are largely due to speculation bubbles.

If Merkel cannot form a Jamaica coalition, can she stay on as head of a minority government (presumably CSU/CSU + FDP) with around 45% of seats? Or would new elections have to be called, as they were in Spain last year.

Danke!

But a minority government with only the FDP would be on very shaky ground. The Greens would be a positive influence on environmental issues, and a moderating influence on economic issues, although Merkel was already a pragmatist in nature there. Özdimir is pragmatic by nature, too, so I can't see him refusing to take part in a coalition, especially since his party hasn't been in the ruling coalition for a while.

During the one debate, Merkel and Schulz were both asked flat out if they would accept either of the extreme parties as a coalition partner. Merkel said "no" immediately, and Schulz wavered, wouldn't give a straight answer. He dug his own grave with that. Last night, after the preliminary results were in, German TV had party heads or their representatives on TV to discuss the result. Schulz was angry, combative, and lashing out at Merkel as if they were in the middle of the campaign instead of talking about its aftermath. He immediately announced he was taking the SPD out of the ruling coalition and into the opposition. I don't know if the majority of SPD voters think that was a good move. My wife didn't like the guy at all and said she did not vote SPD for her national choice for the first time ever. She had voted SPD ever since she was of legal age. I think Willy Brandt was the first chancellor she ever got vote for.

I appreciate that.

From what you told me and what I've read elsewhere, Martin Schulz is indeed no Willy Brandt. Das ist schade.

My high school German teacher, as it happens, was a big fan of Willy Brandt. I remember her asking us to write a brief essay on him when he died in '92.

Of course, even the unsteady Herr Schulz looks every bit the statesman compared to our Grifter-in-Chief. Germans in particular, with their history, must be completely aghast (all but the AfD voters anyway).

Thanks again!

The guy came from over a decade at the European commission, a self-assured bureaucrat/diplomat who came in looking very self-assured, ready to take the reins of an unsteady horse, and lead it into the race as a solid contender. Not only his party had high hopes for him, but the voters in general hoped he would give Merkel a run for her money and inspire a lively debate that would overshadow extremist elements.

Instead, he has proved uninspiring and petty beyond belief. They last straw came last night, when the party heads or their surrogates were on a panel being questioned by a team of German TV journalists (real journalists, not Fox-style propagandists). Schulz, instead of saying the usual (but necessary) "yes, this was a disappointment, and we have to regroup and learn, etc. etc." thing that every party head says when their party shows a disappointing result. Instead, he launched into angry tirades at Merkel, taking too much time, and interrupting both Merkel and the journalists as if he was trying out to replace Sean Hannity. It was painful and embarrassing to watch. The SPD deserved better than this. Yes, Willy Brandt was an alcoholic and a womanizer, but he was also a respected political idealist and an able politician who navigated his party and his country through a difficult period. Though he was brought down by the kind of manipulative scheming that Putin would have appreciated, his influence and legacy outlasted his period as Chancellor by many many years.

Of course, compared to Trump, a Pet Rock has more in the way of substance and gravitas than any party I've mentioned so far..

The guy from the AfD, by the way, was much cooler than many of the nut cases that often speak for his party, but outside of AfD fans, I doubt anyone was fooled. Whenever he tried to present his party as one of moderation and democratic ideals, people present just read off statements from his party platform or their top people, and he really didn't get far trying to get people to think they were something they are not, and probably never will be.