Poll slump for Merkel' s coalition partner

CHANCELLOR ANGELA Merkel’s junior coalition partner, Free Democrat (FDP), was put on the endangered list yesterday after its vote collapsed to just 1 per cent in state elections in Saarland.

The eight-point drop in support is an ominous sign for the FDP ahead of two further state polls in May, and soured yesterday’s election victory of Dr Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

With a steady vote of almost 35 per cent, the CDU is headed back to power in the western state, most likely with second place Social Democrats (SPD) on 30 per cent.

“The election result makes clear that the voters want a grand coalition and a steady ship,” said state CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. She pulled the plug on her three-way coalition two years early, blaming permanent in-fighting in the FDP.

A grand coalition between CDU and SPD is one possible outcome for next year’s general election, although analysts say results in tiny Saarland – with 800,000 voters – have only limited relevance as a national barometer.

Two other results caught much attention. The first was a five-point slide in support for the Left Party to 16 per cent.

Although still the third strongest party in the state, it was a significant slump for the one-time protest party and its cofounder, Saarland grandee Oskar Lafontaine.

“We are satisfied with our result,” said Mr Lafontaine. He retired from federal politics after a cancer treatment. After beating the illness, he is rumoured to be ready to leave Saarland again for one last round at federal politics in Berlin.

The second trend was the success of the Pirate Party, which leaped over the Greens to become the fourth power in Saarland. Its 7.5 per cent vote, after a strong performance in a Berlin state poll last year, will add to its momentum ahead of the 2013 general election.

The Pirate result, after a campaign focusing on civil liberties and internet freedom, was a worrying sign for the Greens.

Dr Merkel’s officials worked quickly to gloss over the collapse of their coalition partner.

“The CDU has been given a clear mandate to form the government in Saarland,” said Peter Altmaier, CDU Bundestag whip. The result “is a vote of confidence in Angela Merkel’s policies” that “will give new impetus to the federal government”.

In reality the result is likely to increase pressure on the already tense coalition relationship in Berlin before a make-or-break state election in May in North Rhine-Westphalia.