German president officially dissolves parliament, makes way to new elections

German President Horst Köhler had been put into a tough spot when German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, in an attempt to force early elections this September to regain a stable majority, called for a vote of non-confidence by his party members. Köhler had to decide by Thursday night if such an early election was permissible by the German constitution.

Historically such elections outside the usual 4-year scheme have only happened twice before. German officials decided in 1949 that the if the government was able to call elections it would make the newly formed Federal German Republic unstable. This was understandable as the Weimar Republic, the “Germany” that had proceeded it, had been plagued with such problems eventually making the rise of Adolf Hitler. But the constitution does not specifically ban such an action either, which was what made the previous two cases controversial but possible.

Köhler announced Thursday in a televised speech that he saw no legal precedent or constitutional statute that would block new elections on Sept. 18.

In Germany the public seems to be relieved that the decision concerning the likelihood of an election whose campaigns are already well under way has finally been announced.

The outcome of the impending election, however, is far from certain. The ruling party, SPD, has lost much ground to the main opposition party, CDU. But a new power has emerged very recently that could be part of a new government-forming coalition: The PDS, a remnant of the SED that ruled the socialist East Germany before it was annexed by the Federal Republic, officially re-branded itself as “Die Linken” - “those on the left.”

In recent polls the newly minted party is reaching upwards of 20 percent. Along with the Green Party the SPD could reform a new government even if the lead by the CDU keeps steady. Schröder has indicated he would not seek such a coalition, but rather than leaving government the SPD maz rethink that stance.

But many are banking on the CDU coming out ahead. A CDU-led government would definitely affect Germany’s foreign policy.

Edmund Stoiber was for example in favor of Germany giving military support to the U.S. for the war Iraq and openly announced this when he unsuccessfully ran for Chancellor in 2002. These policies would likely be continued even though the new person who would be chancellor if the CDU was to be successful would be Angela Merkel, making her the first female German Chancellor.