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The Winds of Change

It looks like Germany’s got a new chancellor. It’s the CDU’s Angela Merkel. Congratulations, Angie.

After meeting with SPD officials to negotiate a deal following the hotly contested 2005 federal elections, Merkel will most likely emerge as the first female to ever hold the office. Facing the prospect of political gridlock when Germany’s inevitable new grand coalition goes into effect, the SPD has spent the last few days scrambling to milk the CDU for all the concessions they can in exchange for the chancellorship. My guess is they’ll pick up a couple extra seats, force the CDU to abandon its plans to help businesses fire their employees, or something of the like. We’ll probably find out the exact details tomorrow.

Again, congrats to Angie Merkel, the new face of Germany. Expect the ice to thaw a bit between Berlin and Washington in the years to come. Is that a good thing? Time will tell - let’s wait and see what happens with France’s political climate in the next few years.