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May 26, 2005
Schroeder Engineers Dubious Snap-Elections in the Fatherland
Several days old, but I never got around to posting it.
Long story short: facing an embarassing defeat in Westphalia and general discontent about Germany's ailing economy, Schroeder engineered quickie early elections by deliberately getting a vote of no confidence from the Parliament (the requirement for early elections). He had his own people vote "no confidence" in order to allow him to call for early elections.
Which raises the question: why didn't the opposition vote "confidence" to forestall this? I guess they were taken by surprise, or else really want a chance to take Schroeder down when he's wounded.
But obviously Schroeder figures this is his best chance to cling to power.
Of course I don't follow German politics very closely, but I have formed an impression or two, and one of those impressions is that Gerhard Schroeder is a fucking douche-tool.
I hope the conservatives in Germany can get it together, double-quick, and oust this dickhead. But European conservatives often seem even less competent than the American Republican Party.