It's Getting Lonely for Merkel within Her Party

[marmar]

from Der Spiegel:



Chancellor Angela Merkel has shown her tough side by firing Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen after he lost a key state election for her conservative party. The demise of the former political star is yet another sign of the ongoing disintegration of Merkel's government. Röttgen is the latest in a long line of senior conservatives who has met with a sticky end.

And yet another model pupil and political star has fallen. Once again, there was a man who wanted too much, a man who was too clever and paid the price. Norbert Röttgen had had a meteoric career in Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), serving as environment minister and a CDU state leader. Some saw him as a possible future chancellor.

Now that's all over. Röttgen, who was fired as environment minister by Merkel on Wednesday, has tripped up because of his own ambitions and his penchant for tactical maneuvering. He was happy to let other people know that he considered himself to be superior. As a result, he hasn't had many political friends for quite some time. His remaining supporters vanished after the disgrace of last Sunday's state election in North Rhine-Westphalia, where Röttgen led the CDU to a disastrous defeat. If someone always claims to know best, but then doesn't do a better job himself, he can expect no mercy -- in politics just as in real life.

Botched Job

The chancellor had to distance herself from Röttgen. His attempt to turn the North Rhine-Westphalia election into a referendum on her policies on the euro crisis was an act of disloyalty. Already a few days before the election, everyone already knew that he had botched it, but yet he still tried to drag Merkel into the mess -- a move the chancellor could not forgive. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/norbert-roettgen-is-only-the-latest-victim-in-merkel-s-conservatives-a-833671.html

[xchrom]

1. du rec. nt

[yortsed snacilbuper]

2. Maybe dumbya could go over there and cheer her up?

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