SPD loses in Sachsen-Anhalt

[Chris Burford]

At 22/04/02 00:10 +0100, you wrote:
>The SPD, governing Sachsen-Anhalt (capital Magdeburg) in a minority 
>administration with support from the PDS, has just lost heavily in the 
>last regional elections before the presidential contest in September.
>
>The CDU increased its %age to 37 and the SPD was squeezed into third place 
>by the PDS (at about 19 and 20% respectively). The FDP also gained 
>substantially. The Schill (Hamburg) protest party probably did not reach 
>the 5% hurdle. The Greens fell even more to under 2%. The good news was 
>that the ultra-right were even lower.
>
>
>Chris Burford

Note behind the low turn out of the ultra right may also be the CDU-CSU 
candidate for Chancellor in the September elections. The Bavarian, Stoiber, 
is sending out some nationalist signals about immigration and the purity of 
German culture, which have some overlap with those of Le Pen, except he, of 
course, is respectable.

But people thought Hitler was not respectable until Hindenberg asked him to 
be Chancellor.

Do not underestimate the possibilities for creeping fascism within 
bourgeois politics.

Chris Burford