German Political Experts and Electoral Poll analysts have described the historic Sunday, September 27th Federal Elections as a vote for continuity with change.
At a post-electoral analysis of the results on Monday, German Pollsters unanimously said the electorates used their electoral power to give Mrs. Angela Merkel, of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) another four-year mandate as the Chancellor whiles 'kicking out,' the Vice Chancellor Mr Frank-Walter Steinmeier of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
The Pollsters include; Professor Manfred Gullner of Forsda; Prof Dr Renate-Kocher, Institute for Demoskopie Allensbach; Mr Richard Hilmer, Infractest Dimap; and Mr Matthias Jung of Forschunsgruppe Wahlen.
The CDU/CSU polled 14,655,004 votes representing 33.8 percent; the SPD had 9,988,843 votes representing 23.0 percent; the FDP polled 6,313,023 votes representing 14.6 percent; Die Linke (PDS) polled
representing 10.7 percent.
In Election 2005, the CDU/CSU had 16,631,049 votes; SPD had 16,194,665 votes; FDP polled 4,648,144 votes, Die Linke had 4,118,194 votes and the Grune 3,838,326 votes.
According to the pollsters, the CDU/CSU lost about 1,976,045 votes between 2005 and 2009; the SPD lost 6,205,822 votes within the same period; whiles the FDP gained 1,664,879 votes; the Die Link gained 1,035,690 votes and the Grunes also gained 802,853 votes.
The results therefore paved the way for a coalition between CDU/CSU and openly gay liberal FDP leader Mr. Guido Westerwelle, to replace the Grand Coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD.
Mr. Hilmer said the heavy defeat suffered by the SPD was based on the fact that the electorate wanted an end to the Grand Coalition and therefore looked out for the minority parties which offered hope.
He said analysis of the turnout also indicated that about two million voters of SPD failed to turn out whiles losing a considerable number of loyal voters.
Some German Political Pundit told the Ghana News Agency in Berlin and Munich that the two parties needed to boldly form a coalition that will put the German economy firmly back on a sustainable growth path out of the present economic crisis.
Delighted Mrs. Merkel addressing party supporters said the victory gave the government the opportunity to push forward with business friendly tax policies, adding that: "we will have to look into the pro-cyclical effects of the current corporate tax regime".
The outgoing Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister Mr. Steinmeier described the electoral defeat as "bitter" but promised to offer the new coalition vigilant opposition.
Meanwhile, a tour of some principal streets of Berlin few days after the Sunday Elections by Ghana News Agency revealed that most posters of candidates had been removed.
According to German electoral laws, it was the responsibility of political parties to remove posters along the streets after elections as the purpose had already been achieved and therefore not needed.
The situation is a sharp contrast to what prevailed in Ghana, as posters and giant billboards of politicians who contested in last December 7th Presidential and Parliamentary elections still decorate the most streets across the country.