By Gemma Lougheed - 25th August 2005
Germany’s planned national elections have been given the constitutional green light to go-ahead on September 18.
The highest court in Germany has ruled against a constitutional objection by two MPs against holding elections a year early.
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder welcomed the decision as German campaigning gears up with three and half weeks before voters go to the polls.
Schroeder’s centre-left and Green coalition is facing defeat after trying to push through unpopular economic and labour market reforms.
“What is important for me is a conformation of my reform policy, a policy that is leading Germany to new strength without putting at risk its social cohesion”, insisted Schroeder.
“I need a new mandate and… I will fight for it with determination.”
Two German MPs, one Green and one from the Schroeder’s own Social Democrats had protested that the early election breached the German constitution.
Seven out of eights judges voted to reject the challenge, which followed a Schroeder-engineered vote of no confidence in the German parliament.
Angela Merkel, leader of Germany’s centre-right opposition, and favourite to win the election, welcomed the judgement.
“Voters now have to decide whether they want to carry on with the same old disappointing zigzag course, or want to make a new start”, she said Angela Merkel..
The latest polls give Merkel’s Christian Democrat and Liberal coalition 50.5 per cent of the vote – a 14 point lead on Schroeder.
But the Wednesday polling by IfD Allenbach also suggests that that 30-50 per cent of voters are as yet undecided.
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