A Seemingly Boring Election amidst Economic Turmoil

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size

Notes

Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland, Pressemitteilung No. 012, 13 Jan. 2010, available from http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Presse/pm/2010/01/PD10__012__811,templateId=renderPrint.psml (accessed 10 Dec. 2010).

M. Jung, Y. Schroth and A. Wolf, ‘Regierungswechsel ohne Wechselstimmung’, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte B 51 (2009), p.13. These ratings were slightly better than those experienced by the UK government: Asked how the prime minister, Gordon Brown, and the chancellor of the exchequer, Alastair Darling, had handled the crisis in the financial markets, 55 per cent of respondents to an ICM Guardian Poll agreed that the government had handled the crisis ‘well’ compared to 39 per cent who said ‘badly’ (6 per cent did not know), see http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/pdfs/2008_oct_guardian_poll.pdf, Table 6 (accessed 10 Dec. 2010).

Steinbrück used such apocalyptic terminology several times, amongst others, in an interview with the news magazine Der Spiegel on 29 Sept. 2009, available from http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-60666803.html (accessed 10 Dec. 2010).

U. Thaysen, ‘Regierungsbildung 2005: Merkel, Merkel I, Merkel II?’ Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen 37/3 (2006), pp.582–610.

See the contributions to a special issue of German Politics (19/3–4, 2010) edited by Kenneth Dyson and Thomas Saalfeld, and to C. Egle and R. Zohlnhöfer (eds.), Die zweite Große Koalition: Eine Bilanz der Regierung Merkel 2005–2009 (Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, 2010).

The team consisted of ten women and eight men: Harald Christ (small business); Karin Evers-Meyer (disabilities); Udo Folgart (agriculture); Dagmar Freitag (sport); Sigmar Gabriel (environment); Hubertus Heil (new media), Barbara Hendricks (consumer and investor protection), Barbara Kisseler (culture), Ulrike Merten (defence), Andrea Nahles (education), Thomas Oppermann (home affairs), Carola Reimann (health), Olaf Scholz (employment and social affairs), Manuela Schwesig (family affairs), Peer Steinbrück (finance), Wolfgang Tiefensee (transport and development of eastern Germany), Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul (international development), Brigitte Zypries (justice).

For a detailed account see T. Saalfeld, ‘Regierungsbildung 2009: Merkel II und ein höchst unvollständiger Koalitionsvertrag’, Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen 41/1 (2010), pp.181–206.

F. Decker, ‘Koalitionsaussagen und Koalitionsbildung’, Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte B 51 (2009), pp.23–4.

K. Dyson and T. Saalfeld, ‘Actors, Structures and Strategies: Policy Continuity and Change under the German Grand Coalition (2005–09)’, German Politics 19/3–4 (2010), p.270.

See Saalfeld, ‘Regierungsbildung 2009’, pp.182–3; F. Decker and V. Beck, ‘Looking for Mr. Right? A Comparative Analysis of Parties’ Coalition Statements Prior to the Federal Elections in 2005 and 2009', German Politics 19/2 (2010), pp.164–82.

Bundeswahlleiter, Wahl zum 17. Deutschen Bundestag am 27. September 2009. Heft 5: Textliche Auswertung der Wahlergebnisse (Wiesbaden: Bundeswahlleiter, 2010), p.61.

Jung et al., ‘Regierungswechsel’, p.15.

Ibid.

Franz Müntefering (elected 21 March 2004), Matthias Platzeck (15 Nov. 2005), Kurt Beck (10 April 2006), Frank-Walter Steinmeier (acting leader 7 Sept. to 18 Oct. 2008), Franz Müntefering (18 Oct.2008), Sigmar Gabriel (13 Nov. 2009).

T. Saalfeld, ‘Coalitions in Germany: Stable Parties, Chancellor Democracy and the Art of Informal Settlement’, in Wolfgang C. Müller and Kaare Strøm (eds.), Coalition Government in Western Europe (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), pp.32–85; T. Saalfeld, ‘Coalition Governance under Chancellor Merkel's Grand Coalition: A Comparison of the Cabinets Merkel I and Merkel II’, German Politics and Society 28/3 (2010), pp.82–102.

Saalfeld, ‘Regierungsbildung 2009’, pp.204–5.

See, for example, M. Laver and K. Shepsle, Making and Breaking Governments (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996).

D.P. Conradt, ‘The Shrinking Elephants: The 2009 Election and the Changing Party System’, German Politics and Society 28/3 (2010), pp.25–46; S. Weldon and A. Nüsser, ‘Bundestag Election 2009: Solidifying the Five Party System’, German Politics and Society 28/3 (2010), pp.47–64; W.E. Paterson and J. Sloam, ‘The SPD and the Debacle of 2009 German Federal Election: An Opportunity for Renewal’, German Politics and Society 38/3 (2010), pp.65–81.