GERMANY: FAR-RIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES PROFIT FROM A PROTEST VOTE DUE TO ANGER OVER REFORMS
Record ID:
328686
GERMANY: FAR-RIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES PROFIT FROM A PROTEST VOTE DUE TO ANGER OVER REFORMS
- Title: GERMANY: FAR-RIGHT POLITICAL PARTIES PROFIT FROM A PROTEST VOTE DUE TO ANGER OVER REFORMS
- Date: 21st September 2004
- Summary: (W7) POTSDAM AND DRESDEN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 19,2004)(REUTERS) POTSDAM, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 19,2004)(REUTERS) 1. MV BRANDENBURG STATE PRIME MINISTER AND SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE MATTHIAS PLATZEK ARRIVING ON STAGE AT SPD ELECTION PARTY; SLV PLATZEK ON STAGE / CHEERING CROWD 0.19 2. SOUNDBITE (German) MATTHIAS PLATZEK SAYING: We led an election campaign that concentrated on fighting from a situation where people said we would not stand a chance. This was a situation in which Germany is in the midst of change. 0.38 3. SV MEDIA; MV PLATZEK DRINKING BEER; MV BRANDENBURG STATE INTERIOR MINISTER AND CDU CANDIDATE JOERG SCHOENBOHM MONITORING EXIT POLL RESULTS; SCU TV SCREEN 0.57 4. SOUNDBITE (German) JOERG SCHOENBOHM SAYING: Then came Hartz four (employment reforms). In the summer break not much happened in regional politics there was a tectonic shift which led to a massive increase for the PDS and a loss in favour for both the SPD and CDU. 1.15 5. SCU PDS POSTER; MV PDS CANDIDATE DAGMAR ENKELMANN RECEIVING FLOWERS; MV JOURNALISTS 1.34 6. SOUNDBITE (German) DAGMAR ENKELMANN SAYING: We entered the campaign for a change in politics. The voters wanted a change in politics. That is why they voted for the PDS. 1.46 (W7) DRESDEN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 19, 2004)(REUTERS) 7. MV SAXON STATE PRIME MINISTER AND CDU CANDIDATE GEORG MILBRADT ARRIVES AT STATE PARLIAMENT BUILDING; MV MILBRADT GOES INTO THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING SURROUNDED BY MASSES OF PRESS; SCU TV SCREEN SHOWING PROGNOSES; PAN TO CDU MEMBERS LOOKING DISAPPOINTED; CLOSE UP OF MAN LOOKING DISAPPOINTED AND GROANING 2.13 8. SOUNDBITE (German) GEORG MILBRADT SAYING: It was disappointing for us. We remained by far the most important political power and we will continue to form the government. However, we did not achieve our goal of an absolute majority. 2.22 9. HAS HEAD OF THE NPD (NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY) UDO VOIGT GETTING OUT OF CAR SURROUNDED BY MASSES OF PRESS AND SECURITY 2.41 10. HAS NPD (NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY) CANDIDATE FOR SAXONY HOLGER APFEL ARRIVING SURROUNDED BY MASSES OF PRESS AND SECURITY; SCU NPD CANDIDATE HOLGER APFEL WALKING PAST CAMERA; MV APFEL BEING ESCORTED INTO THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING BY MASSES OF PRESS 2.50 11. NPD CANDIDATE HOLGER APFEL GIVES THE VICTORY SING AS HE WALKS INTO THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING 3.03 12. LAS PEOPLE IN THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING PROTESTING AGAINST THE NPD CANDIDATE PAN TO STAGE 2.59 13. NPD CANDIDATE HOLGER APFEL STANDING ON THE STAGE NEXT TO THE HEAD OF THE NPD UDO VOIGT AND AN NPD FLAG 3.03 14. LAS PEOPLE IN THE PARLIAMENT BUILDING SCREAMING IN PROTEST "Nazis get out! Nazis get out." 3.08 15. SLV ANTI-NPD DEMO OUTSIDE STATE PARLIAMENT BUILDING 3.48 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th October 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: POTSDAM, DRESDEN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA30EW2V316AO76OZNDUX3D3NA6
- Story Text: The far-right parties in Germany profit from a
protest vote due to anger over reforms.
German far-right parties surged in eastern state elections
on Sunday (September 19, 2004), riding public anger against
government welfare cuts and fanning fears among mainstream
parties that the countrys image could suffer.
Elections in Brandenburg and Saxony showed a shift to
the political fringes at the expense of big parties in
response to cuts in jobless benefits that have brought tens
of thousands onto the streets, especially in the
economically depressed east.
The National Democratic Party (NPD), which the
government has likened to the Nazis and has tried to ban,
emerged as the strongest gainer in an election in Saxony
with television projections showing them up around eight
points at 9.5 percent.
It was the first time the NPD, accused by the
government of fomenting xenophobia, got into a state
assembly since 1968.
But Chancellor Gerhard Schroeders Social Democrats, who
have suffered a long line of election routs over their
hated reforms, drew comfort from holding on to power in
Brandenburg, while the conservative Christian Democrats
also suffered losses.
Holger Apfel, the NPDs leading candidate in Saxony, who
has called in rallies for the new Holocaust memorial in
Berlin to be razed to the ground, said: This is a grandiose
victory for the German people, not just for the NPD.
While no one expects the far-right to pose a serious
challenge to the state, the election is tarnishes Germanys
reputation abroad after decades spent atoning for the
Holocaust.
Analysts have played down the far-right gains which
have happened before in the east, and have often been
short-lived.
Sharp voter swings are not unusual because the
mainstream parties have no roots in the region which
unified with the west in 1990. That has led sharp electoral
swings in the east.
In addition, resistance to the far-right right has been
lower in the east because Communist East Germany did not go
as far as West Germany in confronting the nations Holocaust
guilt.
The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), the successor
party to the communists that ruled East Germany, also made
gains at the expense of the Social Democrats and the
Christian Democrats.
Both the PDS and the far right had campaigned against
Schroeders plans for tougher means-testing for long-term
jobless benefit, a measure coming into force in January
which is designed to boost growth, but which is set to hit
the east hard.
However, Schroeder has made clear he plans to ride out
regional election defeats and press on with reforms that
most think-tanks see as crucial to Germanys long-term
prosperity.
Some analysts are even starting to speculate he may
just win a third term in 2006, despite lagging badly in
opinion polls, if the reforms boost the economy in time.
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