German Chancellor Angela Merkel was reelected leader of the conservative party Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Monday, as she fought back criticisms on her disputed policies at a national congress of her party.
As the sole candidate, the 56-year-old Merkel won 90.4 percent of 931 valid votes in the conservative party national conference held in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe. Party delegates were asked to simply choose yes or no on the candidate.
This is the fifth two-year term of Merkel as the unchallenged queen of the CDU since 2000. Last time in 2008, she received 94.83 percent of the vote. Some observers said the decline of support showed signs of discontent on the rocky first year of her second term as chancellor.
Before the election, Merkel delivered a 75-minute speech in the conference, defending some of her unpopular policies and urging party colleagues to help Germany move forward in a rapidly changing world.
Partners of the coalition government, which include the CDU, its Bavarian sister party Christian Social Union (CSU) and the pro- business Free Democratic Party (FDP), experienced a hard honeymoon after the federal election in September 2009 and the coordination "was more difficult than expected," Merkel told delegates.
Since the center-right coalition was formed, internal wrangling was often seen on some key issues, such as tax cuts, raising public's dissatisfaction on the operating ability of Merkel's government. In May, the CDU and the FDP suffered a severe defeat in a regional election -- losing power in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state in Germany and losing majority in the upper house of Parliament.
However, Merkel seemed persistent on her decisions, even as polls warned that most German public were unhappy with them. Analysts said the incomplete list of "unpopular policies" includes giving Greece a big bailout package, extending the lifespan of Germany's nuclear power station and promoting a health- care reform that raises employees' expenses. "The achievements of the government could be seen in its deeds, but not always in its style," Merkel said. Those controversial policies "will later prove to be necessary and convince people."
Analysts said Merkel's party would face tough challenges in 2011, dubbed "super election year" when six of Germany's 16 states would hold elections. Recent polls indicated that the popularity of the coalition, especially the FDP, kept falling these months.
"Throw the forecasts in the trash," Merkel told delegates. "We can make it."
The chancellor highlighted her country's solid and swift economic recovery since March this year, powered by soaring exports and sinking unemployment. The number of jobless people hit 5 million months before Merkel first took office in 2005, and now it has slumped below 3 million.
"That isn't a miracle -- it is the German people and also we, the CDU that achieved this," Merkel said.
The chancellor also counter attacked criticisms on Germany's export-led growth model. "We'll never accept being penalized for the fact that we manufacture good products," she said. Germany is open to "fair competitions" from other economies.
During last week's G20 (Group of 20) summit in Seoul, capital of South Korea Merkel rejected U.S. President Barack Obama's call for setting limits on deficits and trade surplus.
She also stressed the importance of financial reforms that make investors, rather than taxpayers, pay for future crises, adding that Germany was determined to "anchor a new stability culture in Europe."
In her speech, Merkel urged her party to support plans of slashing the armed force by at least a quarter and suspending conscription. "After the end of the Cold War, the security situation has changed fundamentally," she said. "We are surrounded by friends but at the same time new threats emerge."
She said general conscription, a major policy that the CDU and CSU once insist on, was found "no necessity" in current situations.
Merkel received a nine-minute standing ovation after her speech.
The two-day conference is to end on Tuesday.
Xinhua
