Deja vu

I've been keeping an eye on the German elections... Wow. It's almost reminiscent of 2000, and 2004... The Washington Post reports:

No Clear Cut Winner in German Election
Schroeder Victory Unlikely, Exit Polls Show

BERLIN, Sept. 18 -- German voters dumped Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's government Sunday, but split their ballots among so many different parties that none was able to muster enough support to replace it.

Exit polls indicated that the German electorate was more fragmented than in any other national vote in recent history, a reflection of deep anxiety over record unemployment and years of anemic growth in the world's third-biggest economy. Although voters delivered a resounding defeat to Schroeder's ruling coalition, they were almost equally unimpressed with his chief rival, Angela Merkel, who was bidding to become the country's first female chancellor and the first from the former East Germany.

Merkel's party, the Christian Democrats, received about 35 percent of the vote, narrowly beating Schroeder's Social Democrats, who won about 34 percent, according to exit polls and early unofficial returns. The margin of difference was so close that some pollsters said it was possible that the two parties could wind up with an identical number of seats in Parliament under Germany's complicated formula for determining political representation.

Voters were choosing lawmakers for the 598-seat lower house of parliament, which elects the chancellor to head the government.

The results were embarrassingly weak showings for the two parties that have dominated German politics since the end of World War II. Neither was able to cobble together a majority with their usual coalition partners, leaving unresolved the question of who would lead the country.

Because the Christian Democrats finished first, they will get the first crack at putting together a new government in negotiations with other parties, a process that could take several days or even weeks. "We had hoped for a better result," Merkel told a subdued group of supporters at party headquarters in Berlin. "The campaign is over and now we need to create a stable government for the people of Germany. This is our mandate."

That word just won't go away...

Analysts said that despite her party's tepid showing, Merkel remained the favorite to emerge as chancellor. But Schroeder was far from conceding the end of his reign, saying that he would seek to cut a deal with other parties to remain on the job.

Even though his party had lost, Schroeder looked like a candidate who had achieved a great victory. He gave himself a double thumbs-up and clasped his hands above his head in celebration when he emerged in public after the polls closed.

"Those who wanted a change in the office of this chancellor have failed grandly," he said defiantly. "I feel I have a mandate to ensure that in the next four years there will be a stable government in our country, under my leadership."

There's that M-word again!

The most likely outcome, according to party officials and political analysts, is for the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats to form a unity government, or a "grand coalition." While Merkel would be the favorite to lead such an alliance by virtue of her party's stronger finish, nothing is certain.

And everyone was making fun of the Vatican for their use of the black-and-white smoke signals...