# How has Angela Merkel been able to hold on to power? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 7, 2016, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191 "2016-03-07T10:50:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/21 "2016-03-09T01:57:20Z")
> [@Stringbean](#): > > However, on nearly all other issues she has been a stellar head of state. Head of government, not head of state. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/22 "2016-03-09T08:46:39Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Hi > It has always intrigued me how Angela Merkel has been able to weather the current refugee crisis and withering criticism of her. Who is backing her? How has she been able to withstand such popular opposition? What would it take to topple her? > I look forward to your feedback. I don’t have an explanation either and therefore second this query. A definitive answer with regards to your last question is urgently needed. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/23 "2016-03-09T09:17:08Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Huh? They use them every time there is a change in government, including after elections when a new government is elected. The motion for nonconfidence in the current government and proposal for a new Chancellor is how the new government is installed in office. Not so. The Chancellor’s term of office automatically ends when a newly elected Bundestag first convenes; usually the President asks the Chancellor and Cabinet to stay on as as acting Chancellor and Cabinet until a new Chancellor (usually the same person) is elected. ([Article 69 of the German constitution](http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html#p0310)) ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/24 "2016-03-09T10:11:11Z")
Under the Germany constitution (the “[Basic Law](http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/)”), the head of government is not elected by popular vote (like the POTUS), but by the members of the legislature (the _Bundestag_). There are 3 ways in which Angela Merkel could lose her office: (1) She resigns (2) She loses a vote of confidence (Article 68 of the Basic Law), followed by general elections. (3) She is replaced as Chancellor by another politician in a vote of no confidence, aka “constructive vote of no confidence” (Article 67 of the Basic Law) → (1) Won’t happen because Merkel is delusional, stubborn and fanatic. → (2) Won’t happen because Merkel is delusional, stubborn and fanatic, the grand coalition of CDU and SPD has a solid majority and the CDU MPs know that they would be butchered in general elections. The right wing AfD party is _ante portas_. → (3) Won’t happen because the grand coalition of CDU and SPD has a solid majority. There are many CDU MPs who are horrified by Merkel’s erratic behaviour, but standing up against Merkel would sink their political careers and there is nobody among this crowd who could remotely be considered “Chancellor material”. In addition to that, the SPD has already said that would not vote a CDU Chancellor other than Merkel into office. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/25 "2016-03-09T10:22:10Z")
If forgot to add: (2), according to Article 68 of the Basic Law, can only be initiated by the Chancellor herself. ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/26 "2016-03-09T13:47:11Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > If forgot to add: (2), according to Article 68 of the Basic Law, can only be initiated by the Chancellor herself. “Unlike the British system, the German Chancellor does not have to resign in response to the failure of a vote of confidence, provided it has been initiated by herself/himself and not by the parliamentary opposition, but rather may ask the Federal President to call general elections - a request the President may or may not fulfill.” Thanks Donnerwetter. My question then would be which Chancellor has ever initiated a vote of confidence? Schmidt? Kohl? Helmut Schmidt had to go because everyone turned away from him. ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/27 "2016-03-09T15:13:28Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Thanks Donnerwetter. My question then would be which Chancellor has ever initiated a vote of confidence? Schmidt? Kohl? Helmut Schmidt had to go because everyone turned away from him. First off, one has to understand the original intention/purpose of article 68 of the Basic Law. As has been mentioned before, the German Chancellor, unlike the POTUS, is elected by and must rely upon a majority of the members of parliament, the Bundestag. By invoking article 68 of the Basic Law, the Chancellor is calling his own majority to order in the strongest possible terms, expecting to win this vote. That’s the original scenario. In reality, Article 68 has been used (or rather abused) to initiate early elections: Under this scenario, there is an implied understanding that a majority of the _Bundestag_ will vote against their Chancellor in spite of the fact that they actually still support him. It is a workaround for calling new elections (which the Chancellor otherwise cannot do, unlike, for instance, the Prime Minister in the UK). There have been 5 votes of confidence under article 68 of the Basic Law: - Willy Brandt 1972 (lost and intended to lose, but he had narrowly repelled a no confidence vote under article 67 earlier that year) - Helmut Schmidt 1982 (won and intended to win, but he eventually was removed by a no confidence vote under article 67 later that year) - Helmut Kohl 1982 (lost and intended to lose, this was the most controversial one) - Gerhard Schröder 2001 (won very closely and expected to win) - Gerhard Schröder 2005 (lost and - most probably - intended to lose) ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/28 "2016-03-14T16:42:24Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Thanks Mops. I’m interested to see what happens after March 13. So what happenned… or might happen? ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/29 "2016-03-15T14:14:39Z")
Here’s what happened > **[Anti-immigrant AfD makes huge gains in votes, Merkel suffers losses – early...](https://www.rt.com/news/335465-germany-afd-cdu-elections/)** > > Exit polls and preliminary results in German regional elections show significant success for the right-wing AfD party, which will probably enter three state legislatures. Chancellor Merkel’s conservative CDU party suffered losses in two out of three... "The AfD (Alternative for Germany) party secured 24.2 percent in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, making it the second-largest party after the ruling CDU (Christian Democratic Union of Germany), which won 30 percent, according to exit polls and early counting. Official results from Baden-Württemberg show AfD managed to win 15.1 percent of the ballots to come in third, after the state’s ruling Green Party with the most votes, and CDU, which took second place. Results for Rhineland Palatinate also put AfD in the third place, while CDU lost its majority to Social-Democrats, securing only 32 percent against their 36. " ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/30 "2016-03-15T14:20:02Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > Here’s what happened > [https://www.rt.com/news/335465-germany-afd-cdu-elections/](https://www.rt.com/news/335465-germany-afd-cdu-elections/) > "The AfD (Alternative for Germany) party secured 24.2 percent in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, making it the second-largest party after the ruling CDU (Christian Democratic Union of Germany), which won 30 percent, according to exit polls and early counting. > > Official results from Baden-Württemberg show AfD managed to win 15.1 percent of the ballots to come in third, after the state’s ruling Green Party with the most votes, and CDU, which took second place. > > Results for Rhineland Palatinate also put AfD in the third place, while CDU lost its majority to Social-Democrats, securing only 32 percent against their 36. " and here [http://news.yahoo.com/merkels-cdu-party-loses-two-three-regions-exit-171633508.html](http://news.yahoo.com/merkels-cdu-party-loses-two-three-regions-exit-171633508.html) “In the aftermath of the vote described as “Black Sunday for the CDU” by news website Spiegel Online, Merkel also came in for criticism for unwittingly allowing the AfD to flourish…Nevertheless, the irony is that Sunday’s polls showed there is no obvious successor to Merkel, as the CDU’s biggest mainstream challenger and junior coalition partner – the SPD – emerged weakened in two out of three states where it came in behind AfD.” ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/31 "2016-03-15T14:23:36Z")
> [@davidmich](#): > > How has she been able to withstand such popular opposition? What would it take to topple her? What the most recent results show is that in the east (Sachsen-Anhalt) AfD (populist, anti-immigration) has mobilised a segment of voters who didn’t vote before, but that elsewhere their impact has been somewhat less, and in other states, Merkel’s immigration policies are not as unpopular as all that. The SPD and the Greens are more or less on the same page with her on that point. So I think you may be overestimating the “popular opposition”. [http://www.theguardian.com/world/datablog/2016/mar/14/german-election-afd-gain-remarkable-cdu-angela-merkel](http://www.theguardian.com/world/datablog/2016/mar/14/german-election-afd-gain-remarkable-cdu-angela-merkel) ---
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/32 "2016-03-15T15:37:50Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > What the most recent results show is that in the east (Sachsen-Anhalt) AfD (populist, anti-immigration) has mobilised a segment of voters who didn’t vote before, but that elsewhere their impact has been somewhat less, and in other states, Merkel’s immigration policies are not as unpopular as all that. The SPD and the Greens are more or less on the same page with her on that point. > > So I think you may be overestimating the “popular opposition”. > > [http://www.theguardian.com/world/datablog/2016/mar/14/german-election-afd-gain-remarkable-cdu-angela-merkel](http://www.theguardian.com/world/datablog/2016/mar/14/german-election-afd-gain-remarkable-cdu-angela-merkel) Thanks PatrickLondon. Good to get a little more balance on the results. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191/33 "2016-03-15T15:44:39Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Merkel is in a position not too different from Obama right now. > > IOW, having been the head cheese for a long time, and with comparatively little time left in his/her current term. Meanwhile, during this last term he/she has done some unpopular stuff. Which naturally was much more unpopular with the other party than with his/her own party. This is kind of an odd comparison, to say the least. She has been head cheese notably longer and can continue longer than Obama. The whole government system is so different that how popular her decisions are amongst her own, coalition partner and opposition parties means vastly different dynamics. And “they both did unpopular stuff” borders on the banal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-angela-merkel-been-able-to-hold-on-to-power/748191.md?page=1)