-
ADD TIME NEWS
- MOBILE APPS
- NEWSLETTERS
The Recalcitrant Ally
One Western leader for whom the Iraq issue has been a political windfall is Gerhard Schroder. The German Chancellor, up for re-election when Germans go to the polls this Sunday, was far behind his conservative opponent, Edmund Stoiber, premier of the state of Bavaria, who had made a chief issue of the country's economic woes. Schroder has closed the gap in the past month and last week even edged past Stoiber for the first time in the eight-month campaign. One reason for Schroder's turnaround is his smooth performance as a crisis manager. When eastern Germany was inundated by heavy flooding last month, Schroder put together a $7 billion reconstruction plan and deferred a planned tax cut 12 months to pay for it. Even more important, say political analysts, were Schroder's strong statements opposing any U.S. military action against Iraq whether approved by the U.N. or not. Schroder's position angered the Bush Administration but was immensely popular at home. "It was very important because 80% of the people are against the war in Iraq," says pollster Manfred Gullner. But some political analysts worried that by opposing Bush, Schroder was damaging long-term relations with Washington. "Germany is dividing Europe, and for the first time in 50 years a German government has become anti-American in both style and substance," said Christian Hacke, a political scientist at Bonn University. "This is a catastrophe."
Most Popular »
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- Scientology : The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- Florida Grapples With Its Deadly Hit-and-Run Car Culture
- Why Ireland Is Running Out of Priests
- Workers of the World vs. China Inc.
- Box Office: New Moon Takes a Hit on The Blind Side
- Germany's Doubts About Afghanistan Grow After Revelations About Air Strike
- The Mammogram Melee: How Much Screening Is Best?
- Energizer Bunnies: Turning Rabbits into Green Fuel
- Scientology : The Thriving Cult of Greed and Power
- Workers of the World vs. China Inc.
- The Growing Backlash Against Overparenting
- The '00s: Goodbye (at Last) to the Decade From Hell
- How Guatemala's Most Beautiful Lake Turned Ugly
- Can Attack Dogs Be Rehabilitated?
- Florida Grapples With Its Deadly Hit-and-Run Car Culture
- If Women Were More Like Men: Why Females Earn Less
- Bible-Belt Catholics
- The True, Peaceful Face Of Islam







RSS