German voters handed conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel a second term and a chance to create new center-right government Sunday, while her center-left rivals suffered a historic defeat in the national election.
Merkel succeeded in ending her "grand coalition" with the center-left Social Democrats led by challenger Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current foreign minister, according to television projections. She can now form a government with the pro-business Free Democrats, who performed very strongly.
"We have achieved something great," a beaming Merkel told supporters. "We have managed to achieve our election aim of a stable majority in Germany for a new government."
She vowed to hold "swift and decisive" coalition talks with the Free Democrats' leader, Guido Westerwelle, who has been widely tipped as Germany's next foreign minister.
Merkel has argued that a change of coalition was needed to ensure stronger economic growth as Germany emerges from a deep recession. In joining with the Free Democrats, she hopes to cut taxes and halt a plan to shut down Germany's nuclear power plants by 2021.They are heading in the proven path to economic success, as we head down the proven path to inflation and debt-slavery.
We will have to wait. 2010, if the Dems lose the House, could provide a holding action until 2012. If we are lucky enough to get a fixer like Romney or Pawlenty in 2012, then we can start the long path to break even.
We will see. Otherwise - Argentina awaits.
Oh, as side note. A German named Guido. Does that sound like the start of a bar joke - or is it just me?
So, this German guy named Guido goes into a bar ...
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