Postcards from Germany: German National Elections
Ashley Moore
For Guymon Daily Herald
September 26, 2009
As Germans prepare to elect the next leader of their country this weekend, there's no talk of mavericks, Joe the Plumber or "lipstick on a pig". Political rallies are fairly subdued, and even the reigning Chancellor Angela Merkel has run a very low-key campaign.
Germans view elections very differently than Americans, a fact that can be seen in the number of voters who typically turn out for elections: around 78%. Even young people consider it a duty to vote, with one friend telling me very seriously, "If you don't vote, you don't get to complain."
Rather than voting for the country's leader directly, however, Germans vote for the Chancellor's party. There are only two boxes to tick on a German election ballot: one for the individual Congressional representative of your choice and one for the party. The most important vote is the party vote since it determines the number of seats each party will hold in the German Congress, called the Bundestag, as well as which party (or coalition of parties) gets a majority vote in electing the Chancellor.
Even then, the German system doesn't involve only two major parties like the American system. Right now, there are five parties with seats in the Bundestag, since it's impossible for one party ever to get a majority of votes. The current majority, the center-right Christian Democrats, work in coalition with the center-left Social Democrats. That's right – conservatives and liberals have to work together to get things done.
During this election, proposed coalitions have taken on catchy names due to the colors associated with each of the major parties: yellow, red, green and black. The Social Democrats, who are red, for example, want a traffic light coalition involving the red, green and yellow parties. Another possibility being discussed is the Jamaica flag coalition: black, yellow and green.
Other parties that have seats in the Bundestag might surprise Americans. The Green Party, whose main issues focus on the environment, and the Left Party, who are not officially communists, but whose positions are decidedly focused on working and middle class issues, hold a combined 104 seats of the 611 in the current Bundestag.
Obviously, "liberal" doesn't carry the same connotations in Germany as it does in the States. In fact, "the far right" is considered to be quite dangerous here since it is associated with the neo-Nazi NPD party, which receives widespread disapproval in Germany and is heavily monitored by government intelligence agencies.
Parties like the one associated with the neo-Nazis are not a threat to the big five, however, since German law requires a party to receive at least 5% of the vote in order to receive seats in the Bundestag. Other parties that will be vying for seats but will likely never receive the required 5% include the Pirate Party, a group concerned with government and corporate control over the Internet, and the Grey Panthers, a party that addresses senior citizen issues in Germany.
One similarity Germans do have with Americans, however, is what they are concerned about. Some of the biggest issues determining votes this election will be the economy and German involvement in foreign wars. Even though the German economy is beginning to recover from recession, tax issues and unemployment weigh heavily on voters' minds. Continued German involvement in the war in Afghanistan is also a major issue this year.
Despite these concerns, current Chancellor Angela Merkel is widely considered to be in charge again after Sunday's elections. Whatever the outcome, Germany's position in Europe and the world will make it an important one to watch.
If you're interested in finding out how you would vote if you were in Germany, The Local, an online newspaper here has set up an English-language quiz. Take it and be surprised. I know that I was! (Apparently, I'm a communist!)
Questions, comments or suggestions: guymongirl1@gmail.com
