Editorial Ta Nea: End of an era?

It would be mistaken to believe that the elections to be held tomorrow in the state of Bavaria are solely a German affair.

These elections concern all Europeans, and certainly our own country. The reason is not the unfortunate turn of phrase of the leader of the Bavarian Social Union, Horst Seehofer, on a campaign stop, where he quipped that it would be well if the Bavarians had ruled Greece for longer. The reason does not lie in the historical past, but rather the political present, and its impact on the future.

Tomorrow’s election may very possibly act as a catalyst for political developments.

The ruling coalition of the CDU, the CSU and the SDP has already been severely tested, despite the fact that it has been in power for only one year. A negative result for the ruling parties, as political polls project, will almost certainly trigger new friction.

Could that lead even to a collapse of the government? Nothing can be ruled out. Chancellor Merkel’s authority is already being disputed, including by her former finance minister and current parliament speaker, Wolfgang Schaeuble, who said that at some point the end comes along for a politician.

These elections may signal the beginning of the end, and not just for a politician. When we are speaking about a Chancellor who has been in power since 2005, it would most certainly be the end of an era. It would have an impact beyond Germany.

That means that our country must be adequately prepared to adapt as swiftly as possible.

The reason is simple. In such times off change, you know who is leaving, but you never know what is coming.