Germany - elections

Re-elected Merkel flags tough road ahead for Germany

Article published on the 2009-09-28 Latest update 2009-09-29 12:29 TU

A triumphant Angela Merkel, who has been elected to her second term as German Chancellor
(Photo: Reuters)

Angela Merkel is Monday getting set for her new term as German Chancellor, after her party’s victory in Sunday’s poll. But the 55-year-old lawyer faces a stack of challenges, topped by an ailing economy and an unpopular military mission in Afghanistan.

"I think we've really earned the right to celebrate tonight," Merkel told supporters in Berlin late on Sunday.

Her party, the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) won 33.8 per cent of the vote, their lowest score since 1949. The Social Democrats (SPD) came in with 23 per cent.

"I want to say to everyone in this country that I want to be the chancellor of all Germans, so that things improve for our country,” said Merkel. “We have a lot of work ahead of us."

Germany is saddled with health care, education and social security systems all in dire need of reform. The population is ageing rapidly, and Merkel faces an uphill task to meet the country's goals on emissions cuts.

Europe's biggest economy has been hit harder than most by the global recession, slamming demand for its all-important exports and sending the country into its steepest recession since World War II.

World leaders hailed Merkel's re-election, but some newspapers Monday said a record low voter turnout of 70.8 percent, against 77.7 percent four years ago, and her party's worst showing since 1949, were little to cheer about.

US President Barack Obama offered his congratulations, saying he looked "forward to continued close co-operation with Merkel to address our common challenges in the years ahead".

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the resounding win was a result of the public confidence she had won.

A triumphant showing by the business-friendly Free Democrats will allow Merkel to form her dream centre-right coalition. Merkel's bloc and the FDP have a comfortable 332 seats in the 622-member parliament.

FDP leader Guido Westerwelle aims to the country's first openly gay foreign minister.

On the left, the Die Linke party, which opposes the presence of German troops in Afghanistan, won 11.9 per cent and the Greens 10.7 per cent.