http://news.yahoo.com/german-governments-ability-act-threatened-merkel-deputy-says-085934177--business.htmlOne needs a brief primer on German Politics. There are three major parties in Germany: Christian Democrat Union, Christian Social Union, and the Social Democrats. There are also minor parties: Free Democrats, Alliance90/Greens, and The Left; they generally get about 5% of the vote and usually have a role as "kingmakers".
Just so you can tell your players here's the scorecard (Ben correct me if I'm off on anything.)
CDU- The major Center-Right party of Germany (except Bavaria) Produced Adenauer, Kohl and Merkel, among others as Chancellors.
CSU- The major Center-Right Party of Bavaria, sister to the CDU at the Federal level, and tends to be a little more rightish then the CDU.
These two would be the "Republicans" although more to the right then the current US versions.
Social Democrats- The Major Center Left party of Germany (no separate party in Bavaria). Think Democrats, but actually not as far left as the US Democrats.
Minor Parties:
Free Democrats- These are the Tea Party libertarians. Free market folks along with Human rights.
The often works together with the CDU/CSU to form the government. (Although the FDP went into the .gov with the SPD from '69-'82. Go figure.)
Alliance 90/The Greens- All they seem to give a *expletive deleted*it about is Nuclear Power and their hatred for it. They angle for that Ministerial job.
The Left- Pretty much straight up Commies and Socialists.
Now German elections are quite different as each person has two votes.
The federal legislature in Germany has a one chamber parliament—the Bundestag (Federal Diet); the Bundesrat (Federal Council) represents the regions and is not considered a chamber as its members are not elected. The Bundestag is elected using a mixed member proportional system. Voters have two votes: with their first they elect a member of Bundestag for their constituency, with the second they vote for a party. Subject to a party obtaining a minimum threshold vote, the overall seat assignment in the Bundestag is proportionally distributed according to the second (party) votes. A party who wins more districts in a given state than it is entitled to according to the number of party votes it received in that state keeps these "overhang" seats.
So to clarify. Half the seats are won by one of the guys on the ballot who won the election in your district. The other half are divided among the parties based upon the "Second Vote" breakdown, with only those parties getting at least 5% of the votes getting seats.
This second vote is what most of the smaller parties angle in on. IIRC, they asked you to use your "Second Voice" to vote for them. Simply because they knew that their guy they ran in your district would get killed between the two major parties, but in getting that "Second Voice" vote, they could still get a few (or quite a few) seats in the Bundestag. Enough to often play at least Kingmaker, or better, in forming a Government.
Which is why this article is interesting. There's a growing split between the CDU and CSU due to the fact that the Bavarians are feeling the brunt of the Immigrant Invasion. Their social services are being stretched to beyond the breaking point while the Northern (and eastern) more states are only getting a trickle (Plus the fact that the vast majority of former US military bases, which are perfect for housing large numbers of folks in a fairly small footprint are also in.......Bavaria (Hesse and Rhineland-Westphalia would be 2-3 or 3-2 on that list). And should the CSU get honked off enough, they may walk out of the government. Which means, Hans and Franz get to vote fairly soon after being overrun with about million immigrants. Which means they can use their "Second Voice" to Vote for someone not one of the major parties. Like one of those Donald Trump-like anti-immigrant parties.
Now remember at any given time there were ~300,000 Americans running around the German Countryside, however, the differences between US Soldiers and the Immigrants are shocking.
1. PVT Snuffy was rich. And just as in any good garrison town in the US, outside the main gate, the Local National economy around bases were geared to relieve GI's from as much of their money, as quickly as possible. I can't see these immigrants spending at the anywhere NEAR the level of the US Solider/Airman.
2. We hired lots of Local Nationals to work for us. I had more LN's; Translators, Typists, Clerks and secretaries then I did Military when I worked at the Provost Marshal's office.
3. Many of the older folks had seen or knew of someone who had experienced treatment first hand from the Russians after War II, and they were pretty happy to have us there. So if those boys from across the pond are willing to die for me, I'm okay with their rock music and crude manners, just spend more money..
4. We paid for whatever damage we caused and worked hard to be good neighbors and trusted allies. While quite a few of the older Germans absolutely loved us, along with all the little kids, many of the mid-aged Germans did not however, NOT like us. Yes, we were the brash kids that got your daughter pregnant or took her away from you and back to land of the Big PX and Round Door Knobs and occasionally we trashed your yard/farm. But we really did love your daughter (and she loved us), and we handed you a nice pile of cash when we came back and apologized for driving over your Azaleas and putting ruts in your fields, that you easily plowed out come spring. Oh, and sorry about that chicken, but seriously DM11,000 for ONE chicken?!?!?!
Where was I. Oh, the rise of the "Neo-Right" anti-immigrant parties. Should some of the smaller Right-wing Anti-Immigrant parties get their acts together and merge, with a strong "Second Voice" campaign, they could cause quite a bit of mischief as Kingmakers to change German Immigration Policies and perhaps even EU policies. What was it Tam said,
The Euros have a proven zero-to-jackboots time lower than just about anybody on the planet. The migrant muzzies might want to think about what happens when they get Hans and Pierre feeling good and scared and backed into a corner.
??
Yeah, should the immigrants push things just a bit too far, and they probably will at some point sooner rather than later, they might themselves find out that the Aloha Snack Bar chain has been permanently closed, and a new string of Gasthauses opening from Aleppo to Baghdad and points south....
edited: to correct typos and add clarity
