Lazarus, Icarus, and Canadian Politics: An Infobox Timeline
- Thread starter CanadianTory
- Start date
Since the Tories have a parliamentary majority, the next election won't be until 2014. 2015 at the latest.
Heads up, there likely won’t be an update this week due to some personal issues. Everything is fine, just something requires my attention.
Update #78: German federal election, 2010
Huge thanks to @lord caedus for updating the infobox with an absolutely stunning map!
No one could disagree with the argument that Angela Merkel had achieved a remarkable victory back in 2002. First, she had kept the Social Democrats to a single, four year mandate, which was unheard of in modern German politics, or at least since after the Second World War. Secondly, in more symbolic feat, Merkel had become the first female Chancellor in the country’s history, which in turn immediately began the comparisons to another female chemist turned politician, Margaret Thatcher. Having formed a relatively stable coalition with the likes of Guido Westerwelle and the Free Democratic Party, it appeared as though the Union parties, after a brief time in opposition, would resume their place as Germany’s natural governing party. Unfortunately for Germany’s aspiring Iron Lady, events would make Merkel’s first mandate somewhat of a hectic one. Within months of taking power, economists began reporting that the German economy was on track to shrink by 0.1%, its worst showing since 1993. There was also the matter of the growing budget deficit inherited from the previous Shroder government, which was poised to grow beyond the limits as prescribed by the European Union, triggering a legal challenge from the latter. Although it would rebound the following year, by 2005 the economy was once more facing hardship, with the deficit once again one of the highests in Europe. Combined with the odd scandal, tensions between various members of the CDU, CSU and the FDP, the battle for influence between the Chancellor and her former rival Edmund Stoiber, ongoing tensions between Merkel and Russian President Sergei Ivanov, and the fact that Merkel’s hand picked candidate for President, Annette Schavan, lost, it was yet another achievement on Merkel’s part when her government narrowly won re-election in 2006. Pundits argued that while a second economic rebound that year played to the government’s strengths, a strong campaign by SDP leader Franz Müntefering had resulted in one of the closest elections in German history. After weeks of uncertainty, a grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD was struck, meaning that Merkel would be forced to share power with the very people she had campaigned against.
Still, despite her very public desire to either win the next election outright, or form a coalition with the more like minded FDP, Chancellor Merkel and her Social Democratic colleagues managed to work together in relative harmony. Despite the fact they had campaigned against one another, sometimes bitterly, and viewed the world through different political philosophies, Merkel and Vice Chancellor Müntefering developed a close and trusting relationship, with some even going as far to suggest they were friends. In some ways this was understandable, considering it was the Vice Chancellor who essentially made the grand coalition possible. Unfortunately for Müntefering, some Social Democrats viewed his relationship with Merkel, not to mention his increasing age, as a hindrance for another possible chance at being the party’s candidate for Chancellor. Thus, when the Social Democratic leader announced his retirement from frontbench politics in order to better care for his ill wife, the party quickly replaced him with a man they hoped would prove up to the job of restoring the party to power; Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Foreign Affairs Minister and Müntefering’s successor as Vice Chancellor.
However, once the two combatants finally campaigned against one another, it proved to be an exceptionally lacklustre affair. Neither Merkel nor Steinmeier were spellbinding speakers, and the economy, despite the ripples of the Global Financial Crisis, appeared more or less solid thanks to the collaboration between the coalition parties. To Merkel’s benefit, she had created something of a cult following since becoming Chancellor, something that her opponent greatly lacked. Dubbed the Iron Chancellor, Merkel had also earned the nickname “Mutti” - German for mother. She was by now a familiar and reassuring figure in German politics, and for the most part had delivered a pragmatic, technocratic approach to her job as Chancellor. Merkel had also developed a moderate, centrist profile for herself, further blocking the Social Democrats' attempt to broaden their core group of voters, which had also begun to be drawn towards the left-leaning policies of the more left leaning parties in the Bundestag. Whereas the election platforms of both 2002 and 2005 pushed a clear, neo-liberal agenda with respect for the economy, employment, and welfare, the Christian Democrats, increasingly following the lead of their Chancellor, opted for a careful, more socially acceptable agenda.
On Election Day German voters delivered their verdict; Angela Merkel would remain as Chancellor. No potential coalition was possible without the inclusion of the CDU/CSU, meaning that whatever deal was struck in the coming days, “Mutti” would hang on yet again. Despite suffering a decline in both the popular vote and in seats, the CDU/CSU was aided by the fact that their former coalition partners, the FDP, had rebounded somewhat under Rainer Brüderle. Although some within the FDP were hesitant to strike a deal with the Christian Democrats again, they were the only logical option, as the SPD had already ruled out forming yet another grand coalition with Merkel. Negotiations between the CDU/CSU and the FDP would be concluded a few weeks later, with only minor opposition from members of the new coalition regarding supporting Merkel as Chancellor. As for Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the election was a complete disaster. The party received its lowest share of the vote in decades, and was mathematically unable to form a coalition with the support of both the Greens and The Left, both of which appeared unlikely to lend it. The Social Democrats would subsequently replace their failed candidate for Chancellor with Peter Struck as leader of the party in the Bundestag.
Chancellor Merkel was now set to join the list of such long serving Chancellors as Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, and become a pillar of the CDU/CSU pantheon.
Chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany
Helmut Schmidt (SDP) 1974-1982
Helmut Kohl (CDU/CSU) 1982-1998
Gerhard Schröder (SDP) 1998-2002
Angela Merkel (CDU/CSU) 2002-
No one could disagree with the argument that Angela Merkel had achieved a remarkable victory back in 2002. First, she had kept the Social Democrats to a single, four year mandate, which was unheard of in modern German politics, or at least since after the Second World War. Secondly, in more symbolic feat, Merkel had become the first female Chancellor in the country’s history, which in turn immediately began the comparisons to another female chemist turned politician, Margaret Thatcher. Having formed a relatively stable coalition with the likes of Guido Westerwelle and the Free Democratic Party, it appeared as though the Union parties, after a brief time in opposition, would resume their place as Germany’s natural governing party. Unfortunately for Germany’s aspiring Iron Lady, events would make Merkel’s first mandate somewhat of a hectic one. Within months of taking power, economists began reporting that the German economy was on track to shrink by 0.1%, its worst showing since 1993. There was also the matter of the growing budget deficit inherited from the previous Shroder government, which was poised to grow beyond the limits as prescribed by the European Union, triggering a legal challenge from the latter. Although it would rebound the following year, by 2005 the economy was once more facing hardship, with the deficit once again one of the highests in Europe. Combined with the odd scandal, tensions between various members of the CDU, CSU and the FDP, the battle for influence between the Chancellor and her former rival Edmund Stoiber, ongoing tensions between Merkel and Russian President Sergei Ivanov, and the fact that Merkel’s hand picked candidate for President, Annette Schavan, lost, it was yet another achievement on Merkel’s part when her government narrowly won re-election in 2006. Pundits argued that while a second economic rebound that year played to the government’s strengths, a strong campaign by SDP leader Franz Müntefering had resulted in one of the closest elections in German history. After weeks of uncertainty, a grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD was struck, meaning that Merkel would be forced to share power with the very people she had campaigned against.
Still, despite her very public desire to either win the next election outright, or form a coalition with the more like minded FDP, Chancellor Merkel and her Social Democratic colleagues managed to work together in relative harmony. Despite the fact they had campaigned against one another, sometimes bitterly, and viewed the world through different political philosophies, Merkel and Vice Chancellor Müntefering developed a close and trusting relationship, with some even going as far to suggest they were friends. In some ways this was understandable, considering it was the Vice Chancellor who essentially made the grand coalition possible. Unfortunately for Müntefering, some Social Democrats viewed his relationship with Merkel, not to mention his increasing age, as a hindrance for another possible chance at being the party’s candidate for Chancellor. Thus, when the Social Democratic leader announced his retirement from frontbench politics in order to better care for his ill wife, the party quickly replaced him with a man they hoped would prove up to the job of restoring the party to power; Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the Foreign Affairs Minister and Müntefering’s successor as Vice Chancellor.
However, once the two combatants finally campaigned against one another, it proved to be an exceptionally lacklustre affair. Neither Merkel nor Steinmeier were spellbinding speakers, and the economy, despite the ripples of the Global Financial Crisis, appeared more or less solid thanks to the collaboration between the coalition parties. To Merkel’s benefit, she had created something of a cult following since becoming Chancellor, something that her opponent greatly lacked. Dubbed the Iron Chancellor, Merkel had also earned the nickname “Mutti” - German for mother. She was by now a familiar and reassuring figure in German politics, and for the most part had delivered a pragmatic, technocratic approach to her job as Chancellor. Merkel had also developed a moderate, centrist profile for herself, further blocking the Social Democrats' attempt to broaden their core group of voters, which had also begun to be drawn towards the left-leaning policies of the more left leaning parties in the Bundestag. Whereas the election platforms of both 2002 and 2005 pushed a clear, neo-liberal agenda with respect for the economy, employment, and welfare, the Christian Democrats, increasingly following the lead of their Chancellor, opted for a careful, more socially acceptable agenda.
On Election Day German voters delivered their verdict; Angela Merkel would remain as Chancellor. No potential coalition was possible without the inclusion of the CDU/CSU, meaning that whatever deal was struck in the coming days, “Mutti” would hang on yet again. Despite suffering a decline in both the popular vote and in seats, the CDU/CSU was aided by the fact that their former coalition partners, the FDP, had rebounded somewhat under Rainer Brüderle. Although some within the FDP were hesitant to strike a deal with the Christian Democrats again, they were the only logical option, as the SPD had already ruled out forming yet another grand coalition with Merkel. Negotiations between the CDU/CSU and the FDP would be concluded a few weeks later, with only minor opposition from members of the new coalition regarding supporting Merkel as Chancellor. As for Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the election was a complete disaster. The party received its lowest share of the vote in decades, and was mathematically unable to form a coalition with the support of both the Greens and The Left, both of which appeared unlikely to lend it. The Social Democrats would subsequently replace their failed candidate for Chancellor with Peter Struck as leader of the party in the Bundestag.
Chancellor Merkel was now set to join the list of such long serving Chancellors as Konrad Adenauer and Helmut Kohl, and become a pillar of the CDU/CSU pantheon.
Chancellors of the Federal Republic of Germany
Helmut Schmidt (SDP) 1974-1982
Helmut Kohl (CDU/CSU) 1982-1998
Gerhard Schröder (SDP) 1998-2002
Angela Merkel (CDU/CSU) 2002-
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Before an election? Give the woman some credit. Besides, there's still time to implement those reforms before the year is out
Also there's a small Easter Egg in this update.
Don't you worry, @EvilSpaceAlien and I are still working on it. Draft is more or less done, I just require his assistance ironing out some more details. After that, we move onto the mayoral elections of Toronto and Calgary!
Dinning got such a shaft OTL, I really hope he can win another majority when the time comes.
Depends if he wants to hang on and fight one more. By 2014 he'll be 62 years old and have been Prime Minister for nine years.
But don't you worry, I've got a lot of options ahead, and some polls that will decide the future of this TL. But that's for later.
Maxime Bernier is currently leader of the Action démocratique du Québec. I was going to wait until the next Quebec election, but someone already figured it out, and it won't be a big deal if I just tell everyone now. His successor in the seat of Beauce is former ADQ cabinet minister and OTL 2015 Liberal candidate in the riding, Claude Morin.
I'm fully open to suggestions. Never paid much attention to Italy, and all I know is that it's a perpetual political mess.
Ultimately they decided to rebuild it as it was. The idea of a sword was quickly squashed as too radical an idea. Reconstruction was finished using the raw materials of what remained of the old statue.
So, nothing too radically different, except maybe a more emotional celebration upon its reconstruction