The dramatic surge in support for Germany’s pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), which received “a record 14.6% of the vote” according to the Wall Street Journal in elections on Sunday, September 27, has given Angela Merkel a second term as German Chancellor via the center-right coalition that the FDP will form with Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and its Bavarian sister party (the CSU). The center-left Social Democrats suffered their worst defeat in 60 years.
FDP supporters want to create the lasting prosperity that comes from empowering the individual and promoting dynamic entrepreneurial activity. They voted for the FDP platform, which aims advocates limited government, for example by reducing outlays for taxpayer-funded health care and by reforming Germany’s rigid labor laws. These principles—a persistent commitment to low tax rates, a stable currency, limited government, strong private property rights, openness to global trade and financial flows, and sensible regulation—are at the heart of the 2009 Index of Economic Freedom.
Although the election also demonstrated that a discouragingly large number of Germans voted for increasingly extremist parties on the left, the showing by the center-right coalition and the mandate given to the FDP to push for significant free-market reforms is encouraging. However, Chancellor Merkel will have to break her habit of splitting the difference with the left—a habit to which she became accustomed during her coalition government with the Social Democrats that came a cropper over the weekend. Merkel ran in 2005 on an economic reform platform. If she has the courage, Merkel now has the opportunity to cut taxes and reduce the regulatory burden on Germany’s private sector in the next few years.
Is this a precursor to the 2010 U.S. midterm elections?? We can only hope.
It took germany decades for the average folk to FINALLY wakeup. They are just plain tired and disgusted.
Meanwhile, we appear to be going in the opposite direction on a scale the Germans could have never attained. Socialism was a really great deal, nicht?
The engine of the world economy is still the U.S.
Why is Lord's name would we not want the U.S. dollar to lead?
Why would we want to destroy capitalism that ensures our way of life – the envy of the world?
It is telling that countries are trying to establish capitalism because it does generate revenues and fortunes. What are we doing?
If you weaken enough support structures, any sytem will fall. Do you really want less freedoms so that government can take care of you?
They will seep into every aspect of your life, until like a weed around a flower, you are strangled. No? It's happening already.
Center-right= half wrong by choice.
Limited government works. Freedom to the people, works. Eliminate all you can!
As the rest of the "Civilized" World turns to Freedom, Americans are being sold by their new Masser Obama!
Hozro
What is the world coming to when we will be looking to France and Germany for guidance in the future of what a free country looks like and governs like.
Lived and worked in Germany for many years. Much preferred life back here in the USA until the far-left took control after being voted in by well-meaning but delusional people. 2010 is it, either we correct our mistake, or be happy little socialists dependent on the federal government for ever after.
Your article and the comments show that you are far far away from this country and have no idea whats going on there.
In actual polls the FDP ist loosing about 5%. The government has a lot of differences and problems, becaus the people don't accept the neoliberal ideas, and the health care plans of the FDP have no chance. But even with this plans the German health care system would be much more "socialistic" than yours could ever be!