Universal Suffrage

Next Sunday the German National Elections take place (every 4 years). This Sunday it was election day for the State of Bavaria's parliament (every 5 years). Germany has a "Federal" system whereby the 16 states have a large amount of self determination. Won't try to detail it as it's far too complicated.

Bavaria, the largest state by area (almost identical to Rep of Ireland) has the second highest number of residents (12.5m) and is thus an important player and perhaps idenicator for next weeks elections. However and it's a big one, Angela Merkel's party (The CDU) does not exist in Bavaria! Not a single candidate. Instead Bavaria has a "similar" party, the CSU which only exists there. It has been in power without a break since 1957 but was embarrassed back in 2008 when they had to take the Liberal Party on board as coalition partner. Bavaria is very traditional (85% of the land area is farming & forest) and likes to be indepedent & different to the rest of Germany. One says the "clocks tick differently in Bavaria" or the clocks go backwards (anticlockwise) and a saying also adopted by Munich Football club is "Mia san Mia" or "We are We", a not completely wrong statement of the success of the State, financially the best, lowest unemployment etc.

I am not allowed to vote in either the State or National Elections but as a "Euro-Burger" just in the local council elections. Angie was faced with the flood of paperwork having got postal voting papers but the forms are the same at the ballot box. Today there were extra votes to cast, in total 9 "X's" to make:

5 for various meaningless referundums changing bits of the State constitution.
2 for candidates for difficult to explain south west Bavarian social offices.
2 for candidates for the Bavarian parliament, one is 1st past the post, the second PR.

The five different forms in three colours are put in like coloured envelopes which again are packed in a red envelope along with a statement that one mad ethe crosses oneself and then popped in the letterbox.

The outcome this evening is that the CSU has got back the majority and their ex partners didn't get in to the parliament at all. The Socialist party, yet again, failed miserably despite having Munich's very popular Mayor as chief candidate. The Greens also lost out, not suprisingly as they are no longer the radical environment savers they once were, having smelt national power a few years ago in a coalition with the Socialists. Since then they have claimed to be experts in everything and come up with strange ideas like wanting to enforce a once a week "Veggie Day" ie no meat to be sold/eaten on that day. Sure a good idea but not in politics.

My one fear about all this wonderful democracy is that the incidence of referendums will increase. Anyone can start a referendum if he can get 10% of the voters to sign a petition in 2 weeks. At a very local level probably a good thing (eg building flood defences, new roads) but it's even possible to have a referendum to dissolve the State parliament if you get 1m signatures! This allows minorities to relatively easily get major changes through as most people don't bother to vote as happened in 2010 with the referendum on smoking. Bavaria now has the strictest law Germany wide - much was right but could have been sorted by normal common sense legal rules. There has to be a point at which the government does not have to regulate the colour socks we wear, if & when we decide to change them at all! I could have written underpants but thought better of it!

Next Sunday the same routine, but I think only two forms each with one "X", two envelopes and one signature.

Hope all had a good weekend (was dry & almost warm here today). Tomorrow we start a miserable weather week here but hope other Blipers have a better one. Why not take your boss a bunch of flowers to work this week?