GERMANY: Final day of campaigning ahead of federal election

Record ID: 345691

  • Title: GERMANY: Final day of campaigning ahead of federal election
  • Date: 27th September 2009
  • Summary: COLOGNE, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 26, 2009) (REUTERS) HEAD OF THE GERMAN FREE DEMOCRAT PARTY (FDP), GUIDO WESTERWELLE, WAVING TO AUDIENCE WESTERWELLE WEARING FDP SCARF WESTERWELLE WALKING ONTO STAGE (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF THE FREE DEMOCRAT PARTY (FDP), GUIDO WESTERWELLE SAYING: "Those who vote for the (CDU/CSU) union will probably end up with another Grand Coalition because too many people in the union have made themselves comfortable in the Grand Coalition. Those who vote for the SPD or the Green Party will end up working together with Left Party. And who wants our land to move so far left? Those who vote for the FDP will end up with a centre government, a government of Union and FDP, a government which knows that economic responsibility and social justice belong together." PEOPLE HOLDING PLACARDS WESTERWELLE ON STAGE BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 26, 2009) (REUTERS) CANDIDATE OF THE GREEN PARTY, RENATE KUENAST TALKING TO PEOPLE AT GREEN PARTY STAND (SOUNDBITE) (German) CANDIDATE OF THE GREEN PARTY, RENATE KUENAST SAYING: "I know we will be successful tomorrow in stopping a government of black and yellow (CDU/FDP) and I hope that we are as strong as possible. We want to be the third strongest party in this country." GREEN PARTY UMBRELLA LEFT PARTY STAND IN THE STREET LEFT PARTY LEAFLETS AND SWEETS ON TABLE PEOPLE AT LEFT PARTY STAND POSTER OF HEAD OF LEFT PARTY OSKAR LAFONTAINE
  • Embargoed: 12th October 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAD81NUCBHN28V8XVMF9NK1TXOD
  • Story Text: With just one day to go until the German federal election, Germany's minor parties continued to campaign hard on the streets of the country on Saturday (September 26).
    In the western city of Cologne, head of the Free Democrat Party (FDP) Guido Westerwelle told some 500 people that a coalition between his party and Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) is the best way forward for the country.
    "Those who vote for the union will probably end up with another Grand Coalition because too many people in the Union have made themselves comfortable in the Grand Coalition. Those who vote for the SPD or the Green Party will end up working together with Left Party. And who wants our land to move so far left? Those who vote for the FDP will end up with a centre government, a government of Union and FDP, a government which knows that economic responsibility and social justice belong together," Westerwelle said.
    Merkel holds a lead of 8-11 points over her Social Democrat (SPD) rivals heading into election weekend and is widely expected to win a second four-year term.
    But a new poll by Forsa on Friday (September 25) showed support for her conservative bloc, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), shrinking to 33 percent, its lowest level in months.
    It also put her short of her goal to form a governing majority with the business-friendly FDP, a centre-right partnership that would pursue tax cuts and reverse a planned phase-out of nuclear power plants in Germany.
    If she does not win enough support to team up with the FDP, her conservatives would probably be forced into another awkward "grand coalition" with the rival SPD, a partnership which worked well during the financial crisis but which analysts say could be less stable and harmonious the second time around.
    Green Party candidate Renate Kuenast told Reuters TV that she was confident of a good result for her party after Sunday's (September 27) election.
    "I know we will be successful tomorrow in stopping a government of black and yellow and I hope that we are as strong as possible. We want to be the third strongest party in this country," Kuenast said.
    The latest Forsa poll showed 26 percent of voters were still undecided, suggesting Germany could be in for another cliffhanger election.
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