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Merkel's party humiliated by shock election defeat

“Angela Merkel's ruling conservatives suffered a humiliating defeat in key elections in Germany's most populous state yesterday when voters rejected her party's austerity policies and handed a resounding victory to her pro-growth Social Democratic Party opponents…Germany's conservative Environment Minister, Norbert Röttgen, the party's candidate in the election, had mounted a vigorous campaign centred on Ms Merkel's austerity policies, which aimed to cut the state's €230 billion debt. "Today is a very bitter day," Mr Röttgen conceded last night. "We have been clearly defeated."…

This defeat for more austerity in Germany, as well as the statement by the Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann who wants the European Union council to agree a growth pact at its next summit and invest in education, employment and infrastructure, plus the victory for the Socialist President Hollande in France, should be seen as the sign that “The Voices of Wisdom in Europe” are winning the arguments: enough of protecting the 1% who gave us the crises; time to invest in and for people and hope for a better future.

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Merkel's party humiliated by shock election defeat

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/merkels-party-humiliated-by-shock-election-defeat-7743508.html

Austria wants EU to agree growth pact at next summit

http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=213368&Itemid=77#.T7Af2uiTNoQ.facebook