GERMANY: Germany's general election went down to the wire last night as the government battled a strong challenge from the opposition to hold onto power.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was the biggest winner of the evening, capturing between 38 and 39 per cent support to become the strongest force in the parliament, according to exit polls.
But the poor performance of its only likely coalition partner, the Free Democrats (FDP), and the record showing of the Green Party made it unclear if the conservatives would unseat the government.
"One thing is clear, we won the election," said Mr Edmund Stoiber, the CDU candidate before cheering crowds yesterday evening in Berlin. "We ran a campaign based on clear issues and showed we didn't have to resort to scare tactics to win votes."
Mr Stoiber ruled out entering government at any price and said the conservatives would not enter a grand coalition with the Social Democrats (SPD). "We need societal change and we cannot do that in grand coalition," he said.
The Green Party was the other big winner yesterday evening, after the party captured nearly 9 per cent of the vote - the best result in the party's 22-year history - which means the party remains the third-largest political force in Germany.
"We fought to the end for every last vote and it obviously paid off," said Ms Claudia Roth, the party's co-leader, to cheers and whistles at the party headquarters. "Voters know we offer the politics of the future while Mr Stoiber offers a trip into the past."
The ruling SPD and the liberal FDP fared worse, clearly losing support, according to exit polls. After four years in first place, the SPD are once again the second-largest parliamentary force in Germany, losing approximately 3 per cent, according to exit polls.
SPD losses cancelled out the success of its coalition partner, the Greens, leaving a return of the government far from certain.
"Naturally we would have wished another result but we have the chance to continue in office," said a low-key Mr Gerhard Schröder yesterday evening. Asked if he would continue with the Greens in office, even with a narrow majority, he answered: "As that great conservative Konrad Adenauer once said, a majority is a majority."
The FDP was licking its wounds yesterday as its hopes of becoming the third-strongest party in Germany evaporated. The party's election campaign imploded last week after Mr Jürgen Möllemann, the deputy leader, distributed an election flyer attacking the Israeli government and a senior representative of Germany's Jewish community.
Mr Möllemann was the architect of the FDP's "18 per cent" campaign but yesterday evening the party was left with little more than 7 per cent support.
Minutes after the polls closed, FDP party leaders ordered Mr Möllemann to step down with immediate effect.
"It is a disappointing result, we had reckoned with more. Mr Möllemann's actions obviously distracted in the last days," said FDP leader Mr Guido Westerwelle. "But if we have a majority we will of course go into a government."
The reformed communist Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) was the biggest loser, as exit polls showed it had failed to get the 5 per cent required for a parliamentary party. "We saw an election campaign dominated by personalities rather than policy and that has damaged Germany," said Ms Gabi Zimmer, the PDS leader.
The party will have at least two directly elected deputies in the new parliament, but without any parliamentary party.
The confusing outcome of the election left political party supporters with little to celebrate last night.
At the CDU headquarters in western Berlin last night, the champagne was still waiting to be uncorked.
"We've never seen anything like this. It just shows that every vote counts," said Ms Gabrielle Möller, 42.
The real party kicked off at the Green Party headquarters after the first exit poll at 6 p.m. showed a 2 per cent jump in support. Over 2,000 assembled supporters sprang in the air cheering and waving banners.
"We couldn't have done better. I think PDS voters decided to vote for the Greens to keep Stoiber out. Now we just have to pray it is enough for an SPD-Green government," said Ms Angela Stocker.
Outside the SPD headquarters the mood was more low-key as hundreds of supporters gathered in the drizzle to watch the big screens for the latest exit poll updates.
"I'll be just happy if Stoiber doesn't get into power. The man is wrong for Germany," said Mr Jürgen Fischer.
