In Germany the chancellor's Social Democrats (SPD) fell to 30,7 % (33 seats / -7), loosing over 10 % since the general elections last September. The Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU), defeated nine months ago with a humiliating 35,1 %, took an unexpected revenge, reaching a stunning 48,7 % of consensus and conquering 53 (+6), more than half of Germany's seats. Foreign minister Fischer's Greens took a disappointing 6,4 % (7 seats / -5), only a cut above the ex-Communist PDS (ex-SED) of the former GDR with 5,8% (6 seats / + 6). The Liberals (FDP) fell again short of the 5%-hurdle.
France was the only country where the governing left did quite well, thanks largely to new divisions on the right. Prime minister Lionel Jospin's Socialists are the first party reaching 22,0 % and 22 seats. Together with their coalition partners, the reinvigorated Greens (9,7 % / 9 seats) and the Communists (6,8 % / 6 seats) they largely outnumber the remainders of President Chirac's former Conservative and Liberal coalition. Jacques Chirac's own party RPR, the Rally for the Republic, has definitely lost its hegemonic role on the right, reaching only 12,7 % and 12 seats. The party founded by general Charles de Gaulle was surpassed by its own splinter RPF, the Rally for France. This new Gaullist party was founded only a few months ago by the conservative and euro-skeptic former minister of the Interior Charles Pasqua and took 13,0 % and 13 seats. The new competition on the right is now due to cause some serious problems for the state president, especially since Chirac's Liberal coalition partners of UDF, picking up a half-decent 9,3 % and 9 seats, have already underlined their autonomy and could completely rethink their coalition strategies, if the RPR tried to move to the right. The only positive signal for Chirac is the shambles on the extreme right, where the National Front after a party split fell by almost 10 points to 5,7 % (5 seats).
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