German Elections 2013: Invincible Merkel

To the question of: “Why everything has an end, except for Angela Merkel’s government?,” economic weekly Wirtschaftswoche columnist Dieter Schnaas responds: “Merkel’s biggest success has undoubtedly been her immediate response to the financial and economic crisis. However she lacks of a social and political vision. And her Christian Democrat CDU party is used to follow the events and moving according to what the majority says, that’s all.”

For the Allgemeine Zeitung, Merkel’s victory is sending a signal to Europe: “On this continent, everything will require the consent of Angela Merkel. A Chancellor at the height of Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl”.

The prestigious Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung points out that: “The CDU and CSU parties bet in this campaign on one person: the Chancellor. And it has worked. The result gives credit to her policy and her political style.”

In these times of economic uncertainty and financial instability, Germans do not want experiments, they don’t want surprises. Merkel had been telling them along the campaign: you know me, you know how I function. Regardless of whether she the absolute majority or if her party needs to govern in a coalition, the victory is hers. She has won the elections saying that Germany is doing well and this Government is the best. No matter if this is truth or not because in Germany opinions are diverse, but the message has worked.

Merkel’s policy convinces because the Germans have suffered very little in this crisis. It’s been other people’s crisis, people living in the South of Europe. German people do have work and they live well. Of course that social division is a trend. But there are prospects, and above all, there is work. Of course, many people (seven million) just have a minijob, paid with a maximum of 450 euros per month, or a precarious job. But that is more than having absolutely nothing like many Europeans in the South. That’s what the majority of people think.

The majority also supports Merkel’s policy towards the EU, her message of Germany not willing to pay for other’s mistakes. Berlin can help, yes, but thinking about how and step by step.

Merkel’s victory is in this sense an announced victory. The question is what will happen with the Liberals of the FDP, with which Merkel formed a coalition, and what will happen with the new Alternative party for Germany. Both the Liberals and skeptics of Alternative by Germany AfD could stay out of the Bundestag because they didn’t get the required 5%.

The first words of Merkel after the brilliant results of his CDU have been: “Will work for Germany’s success.” And that is precisely the key to his victory: Germany is convinced that it does well and Merkel helps to convey this message to the world.

*Image by Reuters.