Germany’s conservative leader, Angela Merkel, recently presented her campaign team for next month’s general election, shrugging off remarks by a colleague who had described east German voters as ”frustrated cows”.
Merkel, the leader of Germany’s Christian Democrats (CDU), introduced nine members of her team who are likely to play leading roles in any Merkel-led Cabinet.
Describing them as a ”strong troupe”, she said German voters faced a clear choice — between the failed policies of Germany’s Social Democrat chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, and her own agenda for change.
”Our country needs change. Our voters face a decision on the nation’s direction,” said Merkel.
”I have the greatest respect for the voters. I’m optimistic that we can win and get the coalition we want.”
Standing next to Merkel was Edmund Stoiber whose latest gaffe might just ruin Merkel’s chances. Stoiber last week dubbed east German voters as ”stupid cows” after polls revealed that 30% of east Germans were preparing to vote for a new left-wing party. Stoiber refused to elaborate. He merely said: ”German voters now have to decide whether they want further decline or for the country to re-emerge.”
Many suspect that Stoiber’s comments were a deliberate attempt to undermine Merkel — who stood aside at Germany’s last general election in 2002 to allow him to challenge Schröder. Stoiber narrowly lost — and has done little to disguise his bitterness ever since.
With just more than four weeks to go until Germans vote on September 18, the latest surveys suggest that Merkel is still well-placed to win and become Germany’s first woman chancellor.
With large numbers of German voters still undecided, it is still not clear whether Merkel will be able to assemble her preferred centre-right coalition or will instead be forced into an uncomfortable ”grand coalition”, with the Social Democrats.
Merkel this week sought to beef up her reformist credentials by offering a campaign team that included a radical tax reformer, a law-and-order hardliner and a mother of seven. — Â