Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives won a regional election in the German state of Hesse on Sunday, but the victory was not as clear as expected and raised questions how the party will fare in general elections later this year, according to dpa. The Christian Democrats (CDU) were unable to profit from dramatic losses suffered by the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and had to rely on the help of the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) to muster enough seats to form a coalition in the state legislature in Wiesbaden. Nevertheless, CDU Secretary-General Ronald Pofalla saw the result as "a tailwind" for his party at the start of what the Germans are calling their super election year. The CDU, which rules in an uneasy "grand coalition" with the SPD in Berlin, would like to ditch their junior partner in favour of an alliance with the FDP after the general election. But Hesse, one of five states to vote in regional elections in 2009, is not a reliable test of the mood of the national electorate, most analysts agree. The Social Democrats lost Sunday's vote mainly because they tried twice to topple CDU Premier Roland Koch in Hesse by forming a minority government with the support of the radical Left Party. They did this despite a campaign promise made before the previous election in January 2008 that they would not cooperate with the Left, which has its roots among communists in the former East Germany. SPD leader Andrea leader Andrea Ypsilanti, whose decision to align with the Left was taken against the advice of national party leaders, resigned immediately after Sunday's result was announced. The CDU sold itself in Hesse as a party of trust that would bring stability at a time of growing economic uncertainty. Despite pre-election opinion polls predicting they would win more than 40 per cent, the CDU was unable to improve on its performance of a year ago when it achieved one of its worst-ever results. Sunday's vote came less than a week after Merkel unveiled a 50-billion-euro (67-billion-dollar) economic stimulus package designed to cushion the effects of a deepening recession. Pofalla dismissed claims the outcome of the vote was a negative judgement on Merkel's ability to manage the economy. "At a time of economic crisis there is bound to be uncertainty among the voters," he said. At national level, opinion polls show the CDU with a comfortable lead of more than 11 per cent over the SPD and Merkel herself neck-and-neck with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the SPD candidate who will challenge her for the chancellorship. Analysts said the outcome of the Hesse vote could affect cooperation between the chancellor and SPD as the CDU seeks to accommodate the FDP as a future coalition partner at national level. FDP leader Guido Westerwelle called it "a decisive signal for the general election," after his party achieved one of its best ever results. In addition to the state elections and general election set for September 27, this year also sees elections for a new president in May and European elections in June. The Social Democrats face the dilemma of how to deal with the Left Party in future. The test will come next August in elections in Saxony, Thuringia and Saarland where the Left are strong and could poll more votes than the SPD. SPD national chairman Franz Muentefering has left it open to SPD leaders in the three states to join in a coalition with the Left if it would help to get an SPD candidate elected prime minister. But the party has so far refused to entertain the idea of a coalition with the Left at national level, citing that party's stance on foreign affairs, particularly its opposition to the presence of German troops in Afghanistan. But it might have to rethink this option after the general election in September if the result throws up the possibility of a three-way coalition between the Greens, SPD and Left. Another alternative would be a continuation of the present alliance in Berlin if the CDU and FDP fall short of their goal of achieving a parliamentary majority.
