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Populists’ Advance in Germany Jolts Europe
[WSJ] Growing populist forces shook Europe’s pillar of stability this weekend, as an unprecedented defeat for Chancellor Angela Merkel...current chancellor of Germany. She was educated in East Germany when is was still run by commies, but in 1989 got involved with the growing democracy movement when the Berlin Wall fell. Merkel is sometimes referred to by Germans as Mom... ’s conservatives in Germany signaled more political tumult across the continent. For the first time in postwar history, Ms. Merkel’s Christian Democrats finished behind a populist challenger to their political right in a state election. Riding a wave of discontent with her migration policy, the Alternative for Germany--a three-year-old anti-immigrant party--beat the chancellor’s party in her home state, spurring her allies to debate Monday whether she should change course. Beyond Germany, more political crossroads are approaching that could jolt Europe--as the migrant influx, terrorism fears, and antiestablishment sentiment complicate the recovery from years of economic problems. A week from Sunday, an election in the city-state of Berlin is likely to deliver Ms. Merkel another setback, according to opinion polls. Two weeks after that, polls show voters in Austria’s second-round presidential election could crown postwar Western Europe’s first right-wing, populist head of state. Posted by: Fred 2016-09-06 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=466808 |