Or so it appears at the moment. Whether or not they can create coalitions to govern their country, given their very small margins of victory, remains to be seen.
New Zealand's national elections appear to have set the stage for another minority government led by incumbent Prime Minister Helen Clark. If she can win support for a Labour-led coalition, she will be the first Labour leader since World War II to be elected Prime Minister three times. Labour's margin over the National Party, led by Don Brash, was very tight - 41%-40%.
In Germany, the margin between the two major parties was just as tight, but neither party appears to have won even 36% of the national vote. So while the results point to Merkel becoming chancellor, there are a number of possible coaliations, and while she's likely to lead Germany's new government, the shape that her government remains far from clear at the moment. If fact, though it's unlikely, there are so many possible coalitions that it's possible incumbent Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder may still find a way to remain in office.
Posted by armand at September 18, 2005 12:51 PM | TrackBack | Posted to International Affairs