Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's party was heartened Monday after faring better than expected in east German state elections
Published:
21 September 2004 y., Tuesday
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's party was heartened Monday after faring better than expected in east German state elections, but a strong showing by fringe parties on the right and left raised concerns about the depth of anger over his drive to trim the welfare state.
While Schroeder's Social Democrats lost votes Sunday in both Brandenburg and Saxony, party leaders insisted the tide had turned following six months of heavy defeats in other state and European votes.
The main reason was Brandenburg's popular governor Matthias Platzeck, who passionately defended planned cuts in jobless benefits on the campaign trail and managed to keep the Social Democrats ahead in the state.
"This is a good result. I think it's grounds for optimism," Schroeder said. "We have to keep working hard, and we will."
A month ago, polls had the state's Social Democrats trailing both the former East German communists and the conservative Christian Democrats.
While no far-right group gained a share of power, their success in capitalizing on discontent over the government's welfare cuts drew expressions of concern from mainstream parties, business figures and religious leaders.
Politicians from five other parties walked out of a TV panel discussion Sunday night when the far-right National Democratic Party leader in Saxony, Holger Apfel, launched into a tirade against the political establishment.
Šaltinis:
lasvegassun.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Polish ministers questioned over bribery allegations
more »
Estonian parliament raises support for second child
more »
Latvia's hottest politician, though not yet officially in politics, popped out for lunch Nov. 6 to host a press conference in which he spoke of his future party's health care program.
more »
Georgia's Security Minister Vakhtang Kutateladze today submitted his resignation, following a raid by security police on the country's main private television station.
more »
The US Embassy in Riyadh has asked thousands of Americans living and working in the Kingdom to limit their movement to avert possible retaliatory actions following the launch of air strikes on Afghanistan.
more »
United Nations, Secretary-General Kofi Annan Win Nobel Peace Prize
more »
State Department warns of threat
more »
Funding for plot financed with $500,000 bankroll
more »
On September 1 in Belarus were 103,3 thousand unemployed.
more »
Although renewed calls for a national identity card have sparked a heated debate in the United States in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attack, such cards are the norm in most of the world.
more »