GERMANY: One day before the German federal election, Chancellor Angela Merkel says the country's economy will contract by five percent this year

Record ID: 212764

  • Title: GERMANY: One day before the German federal election, Chancellor Angela Merkel says the country's economy will contract by five percent this year
  • Date: 27th September 2009
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 26, 2009) (REUTERS) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL ARRIVING AT FINAL CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATS (CDU) RALLY AS THE ROLLING STONES SONG IS HEARD MERKEL WALKING PAST SHAKING HANDS CDU SUPPORTERS HOLDING "ANGIE" PLACARDS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "Because we are the world champion of exports, our economy especially hard hit by the crisis especially. Minus five percent this year. In the 60 years of the German Federal Republic this has never happened. The sharpest decline so far was 0.9 percent during the oil crisis. Now we are at minus five percent. What it's all about now - and this is what voters will decide on tomorrow - how can we get out of this low as quickly as possible." CDU SUPPORTER BOTTLE FEEDING BABY (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "I will see how long I can sleep tomorrow. It wouldn't be a mistake to sleep a little bit longer but I suspect that there will be bit of excitement. Once the polling stations open (0600GMT) I will probably be awake. Although I can't influence anything then. Then I will have breakfast and at some point I will also cast my ballot. Then you sit and wait." VARIOUS CDU SUPPORTERS HOLDING "ANGIE" PLACARDS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "Every vote counts. What this is about, and let me repeat it one more time, is that we are experiencing the most serious economic crisis Germany has seen in the last 60 years and therefore tomorrow we need to pave the way so that we can get Germany out of this low quickly." APPLAUSE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "I have just returned from Pittsburgh and I know that the whole world is making and effort. Germany cannot afford to make any experiments. Germany needs stable conditions. That's what tomorrow is all about and the CDU/CSU stand for that." APPLAUSE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "Tomorrow we have to make sure that the CDU/CSU will have the strength to build a government in Germany in a new constellation but in a constellation in which we are strong because only we represent the centre of society." APPLAUSE AS MERKEL IS ON STAGE CDU SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING MERKEL ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAA92I9ESONQ1DXVRQZN9G6XOC1
  • Story Text: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Saturday (September 26) that Europe's largest economy will contract by five percent this year. That was slightly less pessimistic than her previous forecasts.
    "We'll have a decline of five percent, we've never had that before in post-war history," Merkel told a campaign rally in Berlin. Previously she had said gross domestic product would contract by a post-war record of 5-6 percent.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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