(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The governing Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) and Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) keep riding a popularity wave in Germany, according to a poll by Infratest-Dimap. 41 per cent of respondents would vote for either of the two conservative parties in the next election to the Federal Diet, up one point since late October.

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) is second with 30 per cent, followed by the Left Party (Linke) with nine per cent, the Green Party (Grune) also with nine per cent, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with eight per cent.

Official results from the September 2005 election to the Federal Diet gave the CDU and the CSU 226 seats, with the SPD a close second with 222 legislators. Neither of the two main parties was able to assemble a coalition government with their preferred partners. In November 2005, CDU leader Angela Merkel was sworn in as Germany’s first female head of government. The current administration includes members of the CDU, CSU and SPD.

On Nov. 14, around 5,300 German train drivers went on strike, practically paralyzing the country’s transportation system. The drivers’ union (GDL) called the strike after three months of failed talks with Deutsche Bahn AG—which operates German railways—over workers’ wages. Both the Transportation Ministry and Merkel have said the government will not intervene on the negotiations between the two parties.

Yesterday, the GDL called off the 62 hour strike—the longest since World War II—and demanded a new offer in a statement, which read: "Now it is the Deutsche Bahn AG board’s move. If the railway presents a sustainable offer, there will be no strikes for the duration of negotiations."

Polling Data

What party would you vote for in the next federal election?

Source: Infratest-Dimap
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 German voters, conducted on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14, 2007. Margin of error is 2.5 per cent.

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