Steve (as 41oo) wrote:How long can this state of uncertainty go on? Can we help by sending over some aristocratic Hanoverians to run the country whilst you sort things out?
The new Bundestag meets for the first time within 30 days after the general elctions.
Quote:Election of the Federal Chancellor
Immediately after the election to the Bundestag, and long before the Bundestag's constituent meeting, negotiations begin on the formation of a new government. Generally, they take the form of coalition talks as it is rare for one party to gain an absolute majority. The parties set up special delegations to conduct these talks, the aim of which is to find a parliamentary majority for a programme of political action over the electoral term and to agree on the distribution of government departments between the partners in the coalition.
Source and further information
The official provisional final results are (according to above noted source):
SPD: 34,3 % (2002: 38,5 %)
CDU: 27,8 % (2002: 29,5 %)
CSU: 7,4 % (2002: 9,0 %)
GRÜNE: 8,1 Prozent (2002: 8,6 Prozent)
FDP: 9,8 % (2002: 7,4 %)
Die Linke.: 8,7 % (2002: 4,0 %) and
Sonstigen ('Others'): 3,8 % (2002: 3,0 %)
[Nota bene: the SPD is the biggest fraction! At least according to the official website of the German Parliament.]
So, after the first meeting, the Bundestag elects a chancellor (Art. 63 Abs. 1, 2 Basic Law). Full stop.
If this can't happen, they do it again, a fortnight later. Fullstop.
If they still have difficulties, there's at once a new election for the chancellor in the Bundestag by the members: that person, who gets the most votes is elected as chancellor.
If that didn't happen with an absolute majority, the Federal President has to appoint him/her ... or to dissolve the Bundestag and call for new general elections.
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I really think that at least shortly after the second proceture we'll get a strong coalition with a strong(er) majority ...
