An end to German stagnation?

The German electorate is fed up with its government. Since Gerhard Schröder’s left-leaning SPD–Green coalition came to power seven years ago, the German economy has stagnated, growing at less than 1% a year in three of the past four years. The European Commission is now forecasting just 0.8% real GDP growth this year, the lowest rate in the 25-member EU. After disastrous defeats in elections at the level of the Länder, the states of the German federation, which left the governing coalition in power only at the centre, Schröder has gambled on a snap election.