Merkel’s Nuclear Policy Under Fire as Greens Surge in Elections

[marmar]

(Bloomberg) German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition was defeated in its southwestern heartland and failed to win control of a second state as the anti-nuclear Greens vote surged to a record, forcing her to reassess energy policy.

The Greens are poised to enter the regional governments in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate after yesterday’s state elections conducted in the shadow of the nuclear disaster in Japan. In Baden-Wuerttemberg, the Greens are set to lead their first state administration, ejecting Merkel’s Christian Democrats from power in Stuttgart after 58 years.

The shift would grant the Greens sway over policy affecting a state whose economy is bigger than Belgium and Luxembourg combined, driven by companies such as Porsche AG, SAP AG and Daimler AG. It would also hand them control of Germany’s third- biggest utility, EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg AG, and its four nuclear plants just as the Japan crisis fans public fears over reactor safety.

“Merkel’s coalition in Berlin must take a huge slice of the blame” after voters’ “complete rejection of her nuclear policy and her leadership,” Hans-Juergen Hoffmann, head of the Psephos polling company, said by phone. “That a booming economy in the land of Daimler and Porsche played a backseat role in the region’s election is a turning point in the fortunes of the federal coalition.” .................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-27/merkel-s-coalition-trails-greens-surge-in-state-elections-exit-polls-say.html

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1. Great news! nt