Schröder is trounced
The week's news at a glance.
Berlin
The party of German leader Gerhard Schröder lost hugely in two state elections this week, in what the chancellor called “one of the most bitter defeats I have known.” Schröder’s Social Democrats lost dozens of seats in Hesse and in his home state of Lower Saxony to the center-right Christian Democrats. The chancellor was narrowly re-elected four months ago on a platform of opposition to the war in Iraq, but his popularity has been plummeting—along with the economy—ever since. German unemployment stands at 8.5 percent, and Schröder has already broken his campaign promise not to raise taxes. “If this doesn’t make the government realize that the economy needs a jump-start,” said Saxony opposition lawmaker Christian Wulff, “then it’s really beyond help.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Today's political cartoons - May 20, 2024
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - flags flipped, Diddy dunked, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Diddy admits to beating girlfriend after video
Speed Read Though he previously denied allegations of abuse, Combs apologized for abusing Cassie Ventura following the release of new CCTV footage
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden delivers Morehouse graduation speech
Speed Read It was the president's first time addressing a college campus since the breakout of Gaza war protests
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published