- Title: GERMANY: Chancellor Angela Merkel may get help from Bavarian ally in German vote
- Date: 12th September 2013
- Summary: MUNICH, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 12, 2013) (REUTERS) GERMAN AGRICULTURE MINISTER AND MEMBER OF BAVARIA'S CHRISTIAN SOCIAL UNION (CSU) ILSE AIGNER (SEATED IN MIDDLE) TOASTING WITH BEER MUG IN TENT OF CSU SUPPORTERS CSU SUPPORTER IN TRADITIONAL COSTUME WEARING "LEDERHOSEN" LEATHER TROUSERS APPLAUDING ANOTHER CSU SUPPORTER WITH GINGERBREAD HEART AND "CSU" WRITTEN ON IT DANCING TO
- Embargoed: 27th September 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA8CC7PJDC3NZHUIHTBRVVBXFYM
- Story Text: Angela Merkel's bid for a third term as chancellor could get a boost from her Bavarian allies who are set to extend their 56-year reign over the rich southern state in a vote on Sunday (September 15), just one week before Germany's federal election.
Bavarians, proud of their "laptop and lederhosen" economy which outperforms most of the country, are forecast to give the Christian Social Union (CSU) - the sister party of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) - at least 47 percent of the vote.
That would signal a recovery from the Bavarian party's 2008 result of just over 43 percent - their worst state election in six decades - and encourage conservative voters across Germany as well as undermining the opposition Social Democrats (SPD).
Merkel, who has been chancellor since 2005, has ruled with a coalition made up of the CDU/CSU and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) since the last federal election in 2009.
Bavaria, home to 12.5 million of Germany's 80.5 million people, is the only state with a regional party - the CSU - in parliament. It is not possible to vote for Merkel's CDU on a ballot paper in the state but the CSU makes up nearly a quarter of her conservative bloc in parliament.
The CSU has run Bavaria since 1957.
If Bavaria were a country it would have the euro zone's sixth largest population and economy.
"I know no region in Europe that could compete with Bavaria," incumbent state premier Horst Seehofer, a burly 64-year-old, roared to a crowd of 3,000 in a beer tent at the annual Gillamoos festival last week.
Polls predict his party will fall short of historic heights of over 60 percent but is on track for a recovery from 2008, its worst result since 1954 at 43.4 percent.
The CSU is proud that it kept its independence from the other Christian-conservative parties when they joined together to form the CDU in the 1950s.
But Seehofer knows he must strike a balance between defending state interests and working on national issues with Merkel, who is almost as popular as him in Bavaria.
Seehofer calls her a "stroke of luck" for Germany but sometimes pushes his luck, for example when he proposed a toll for foreigners using the autobahn high-speed road network. He said it would be a key demand in federal coalition talks, prompting a rebuff from Merkel.
"We pay on almost all European roads," Seehofer told supporters at the final rally of his CSU party in Munich on Thursday night (September 12).
"We have huge investment needs in Germany and in Bavaria, both for trains and for roads. That's why others should pay here too," Seehofer said.
With polls showing seven out of 10 Bavarians support such a toll - which might violate European law - he knows the issue has traction in a car-loving state that is home to BMW and Audi.
At the Social Democrats' final rally ahead of Sunday's election, challenger Christian Ude received support from Peer Steinbrueck who hopes to be elected German chancellor a week later in the federal elections.
"This Seehofer," Steinbrueck told supporters to laughter, "the greatest lose cannon in Germany, he knows full well that this (road tax) is not possible due to European laws. He might even force Mrs. Merkel to approve this in a coalition treaty which would make him a security risk for all of Germany." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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