Warning from Germany

CDU/CSU won the German elections yesterday, but only by a hair, after SPD staged a remarkable comeback. The Right has been handicapped in both Germany and the CR by weak leaders and unconvincing economic plans. Jiří Paroubek might be able to take even better advantage of this than Gerhard Schröder. Paroubek is well on his way to sidelining ODS Chair Mirek Topolánek the way Schröder did Prof. Paul Kirchhof and can now concentrate on his party's economic successes. He said in Právo today that these successes are ČSSD's best campaign weapon. Deputy Premier Martin Jahn told LN that the CR is doing so well that it doesn't really need any sharp reforms. This is an overstatement, but unless ODS comes up with some convincing economic arguments, the 2006 elections might be as disappointing for it as yesterday's were for Angela Merkel. [Czech Republic Germany Christian Democratic Union prime minister chancellor Lidové noviny]