In the second setback for Angela Merkel in the last few days, Frank-Walter Steinmeier Set for German Presidency against the chancellor’s wishes.
Steinmeier is a Social Democrat, not a member of Merkel’s CDU/CSU alliance.
Angela Merkel, German chancellor, has suffered a political setback by accepting that foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, a candidate from the rival Social Democrat party, should be the country’s next president.
Mr Steinmeier is likely to be voted into the largely honorary post with reluctant backing from the chancellor’s conservative CDU/CSU alliance, which has failed to find a suitable candidate.
The decision will rob Germany of an experienced and respected foreign minister at a time of tension in international politics, with the US set for policy changes after Donald Trump’s election; the UK facing an exit from the EU; and Russia asserting its power on the EU’s eastern flanks.
The choice of Mr Steinmeier is a rare political victory for Sigmar Gabriel, leader of the social democratic SPD, ahead of next year’s parliamentary elections. Both ruling parties in the coalition headed by Ms Merkel will be under pressure in the poll from the rightwing populist Alternative for Germany, which has won support during the refugee crisis.
While Mr Steinmeier’s removal from frontline politics will deprive the social democrats of a popular figure in the parliamentary campaign, Mr Gabriel appears to have calculated that it is better to be able to point to a victory before next year’s election battle.
If the move is confirmed, Mr Steinmeier, 60, would take over from Joachim Gauck, a 76-year-old former east German pastor who is retiring at the end of his five-year presidential term.
Ms Merkel wanted a conservative but her favourite, Norbert Lammert, the Bundestag speaker, declined.
While the procedure for choosing a president means the CDU/CSU might have been able to block Mr Steinmeier, Ms Merkel seems to have decided that such an outcome would be undesirable for a post meant to unite all Germans and that she did not want to be blamed for such a result.
Boris Johnson Snubs Emergency Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers to Discuss Donald Trump.
For more snub details please see EU in Total Disarray After UK, France, Hungary Snub Meeting Demanded by Germany; Trump Meets Nigel Farage.
Merkel’s power is on the wane and has been for quite some time.
In September, Merkel came in third place, to the anti-immigration, eurosceptic AfD party in her own home state in statewide elections.
- October 18, 2015: Swamped By Stupidity; Peak Merkel
- January 29, 2016: Poll Shows Nearly 40% of Germans Want Merkel to Resign
- February 28, 2016: Merkel’s Failure Now Obvious to Entire World
- August 28, 2016: Reuters reports Half of Germans against Merkel serving fourth Term: Poll
- September 5, 2016: Merkel humiliated in 3rd Place Finish to AfD in State Elections; Irony of the Day
- September 18, 2016: Merkel Suffers Setback in Berlin
A CNBC analyst says Germany’s Merkel Set to Win Fourth Term in a Messy Election.
I am not convinced she will even run. We will likely find out in December.
The only thing preventing a complete collapse of Merkel right now is lack of a CDU/CSU challenger.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
Merkel can trace virtually all her problems to the regime-change policies of the US foreign policy establishment and to Hillary Clinton especially. Clinton’s regime-change war on Libya and similar attempt in Syria (supported by Clinton Foundation donors Saudi Arabia and Qatar) are what caused the refugee crisis that is bringing her down.
imo, Soros pulling the strings … Clinton Foundation and PACs supporting HRC have been magnets for globalist $$s.
Maybe, but can you show that she was not on-board with those policies? To me it seemed she was, and if not, her actions regarding the overflow have been something un-hinged all the same.
HRC’s core is to attain power and money.
Her “principles” shift in the sands … whatever helps her achieve the above.
Globalists pay better.
No no Tony, I meant Merkel… mind you, I still find some similarities.
😉
Oh,……. you might be right re Merkel. She was born in East Germany so maybe unification broadened her scope. And EU and refugee (crisis) are means of inclusiveness which appeal to her.
But, she knows that Germany stirs the drink in Europe … a lot easier to have that ideal when you’re the leader and not the follower.
Well said. I don’t think she has a problem with ideals as they can be very adaptable when placed in the wrong hands , the trouble is in selling an ideal to the population as leader, her demonstration of unflinching moral rectitude having been made a farce of by reluctant members of her own society who have still not managed to adapt to her new guests, no matter how impressed other nations were of her efforts before they wished her well and locked their doors.
Don’t forget the Ukraine!
It’s done. Steinmeier is more pro-Russia.
“Merkel’s power is on the wane and has been for quite some time.”
Anyone have a handle on what PPV charge will be when she first meets DJT as POTUS?
I’d be tempted … but I expect DJT to TKO her in 1st round.
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Merkel is doing her best to single-handedly destroy White European Christian civilization… yet she is supposed to be a Lutheran. Martin Luther would be spinning in his grave over what she has done to his beloved Germany [btw.. I was baptized Lutheran.]
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They are all EU Federalist, just different faces. Swapping out Merkel might complicate things as the new face will still be a Federalist but with unknown prejudices.
It wiil be a shock and uncertainty to other European countries. They know Merkel and her narrative by heart, and know how they relate to it. Take her out of the picture and I think it will bring a new set of difficulties as I don’t think her replacement will benefit from any of the sympathies she has managed to garner.
Nor might they be as pragmatic. For all her faults she does look to build bridges better than the likes of Hollande.
That is right, whether you completely disagree with her, it is still possible to relate to her as a person somehow, no matter how low the view. Hollande? Most people have no clue to what he is or means, nor want to – no insult intended but I suppose you would have to be French to ‘get it’, something that does not seem to impress the French either. Even Sarko is a hard nut, but his arrogance makes instant dismissal a cynch.
The rest… Le Pen has a clear face and some emotion, Rajoy in Spain has a presence, the Portuguese president is very familiar , Gert Wilder stands out for his hair and stances, Juncker for being somehow obnoxious, Tsipras for being something of a sinister twat, Tusk looks like he is in a bad temper.
Laugh to myself, with all I read and travel in EU those are the only figures that stand out as symbolizing anything much, so you might imagine what the average ‘European’ thinks of it all… they follow local political choice and get an occasional msm fed wider glimpse of ‘EU’ .
Steinmeier has been openly critical of sanctions against Russia, has called out against ‘Nato warmongering’, and denounced Ukraine’s military action against its citizens in the east. That’s why he’s getting stuck into the presidency. But it’s a shot across the bow to Merkel.
Once they took Clinton’s puzzle piece out of the picture, the whole thing is falling apart. Evidently, she was key to keeping the global scheme going since all the the EU ‘leaders” have lost their power and influence. Now to find out what the evil establishment has in its bag of tricks to push things back in their control. They are probably setting up for a market dislocation.
This man is the same one that called Donald Trump a Hate Preacher.
He might be symbolic but either there to offset the Trump way of doing things (or AfD) or to get Steinmuller out of the way and avoid collisions.
It does embed the status quo irrespective of who replaces Merkel.
This doesn’t look like a problem for Merkel as much as ‘business as usual’ for the next 5 years.
It’s very complex. Germany, Eastern Europe, NATO, Russia.
Have a read of the below. Now the Foreign Minister is changing what are the implications to the likes of Poland. Perhaps Hard to draw any idea of what it means for future relations.
http://www.politico.eu/article/natos-germany-russia-problem-german-foreign-minister-frank-walter-steinmeier/
UK establishment is concerned the West is on its last legs.
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/government-bond-yield
UK establishment must be concerned the White Christian West is not being destroyed fast enough… otherwise they would do something to prevent it. The red queen has ruled 64 years while her people and her kingdom went to cultural marxist hell.
Germany will now lead the West?
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/trump-election-means-europe-must-now-lead-west-a-1120929.html
Complete propaganda piece, you would think the author had patented freedom. It is a shock to EU that the US has chosen someone as president who might actually make a few decisions by himself… and encourage others to. Yep, there goes our freedom because it just doesn’t fit with our role.
Spiegel is a bootlicker of the defeated US establishment. Looks like they decided to regroup for a new attack.
ALL of them are demented cultural marxists who have led White European Christian civilization to Weimar-like ruin. But this time around there is no leader waiting in the wings… so Western civilization will end with a whimper.
Peter: Yet another wrinkle to keep your eye in wrt the EU. Sig.
Alternatively, foreign minister Steinmeier is being kicked upstairs to a largely cerimonial role in an astute move by Merkel who could not remove him otherwise without upsetting her coalition partners. With Steinmeier allegedly reluctant to be in the same room as UK foreign secretary Johnson, his departure may bring all sorts of advantages.
Let’s hope so.
Theresa May Mansion House speech earlier this evening.
If the words can be delivered upon she will indeed be a leader and the UK will not disappear beneath the waves of change.
Reads very well, considered, controlled and with a vision. Very pleased to read it and hope we can hold together through the coming period.
Fingers crossed, all will be well.
God knows we need strong principled leadership with integrity.
Is it the same house where Churchill delivered his speech: “Now, this may not the beginning of the end, but perhaps the end of the beginning”? Would be quite fitting.
The meme that Steinmeier does not stand Johnson could be a smokescreen by the Politbiro to explain the unexplainable: why would Steinmeier want the job. His chance of being with Johnson is the same room more than once is pretty slim.
This is hardly a setback for Merkel: Steinmaier is the only German politician that could beat Merkel in the upcoming elections as it stands at the moment.
This is a political maneuver at best.
It is unclear why Steinmeier would want a ceremonial, retirement job when he could be a chancellor.
is merkel getting any clinton foundation money,,saudi money,,,merkel is the german hrc
Soros money ?
Or maybe the East German Marxist is destroying Germany for free.
Stalin would be proud of Merkel achieving where his red army stopped short.
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Germany mulls plan to partially privatize Autobahn
14 Nov 2016
” A plan by the conservative German Finance Minister to sell off almost half of the country’s Autobahn roadway system to private investors has many Germans up in arms.
Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU party has put forth a plan to partially privatize the Autobahn network of roads across the country, according to a report by Der Spiegel on Saturday. ”
more at link
http://www.thelocal.de/20161114/germany-mulls-plan-to-partially-privatize-autobahn
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Don’t underestimate Merkel. This move to give in with SPD’s Steinmeier removes a strong contender for the chancellor position. Gabriel is seen as weak and not a leader.