(Angus Reid Global Scan) - The coalition of the Christian-Democratic Union (CSU) and the Bavarian Christian-Social Party (CSU) continues to dominate the political scene in Germany, according to a poll by Infratest-Dimap. 43 per cent of respondents would vote for the alliance in the next federal election.

The governing Social Democratic Party (SPD) of chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is second with 27 per cent, followed by the coalition of the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) and the Electoral Alternative for Labour and Social Justice (WASG) with 11 per cent, the Green Party (Grune) with eight per cent, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) with seven per cent.

On Jul. 1, Schroeder deliberately lost a no-confidence motion in the Federal Diet after a 151-296 vote, with 148 abstentions. German president Horst Koehler has 21 days to decide whether to call an early election. There is growing speculation that the ballot could be scheduled for Sept. 18.

Yesterday, German foreign minister and Greens leader Joschka Fischer warned the Christian Democrats about committing "a strategic mistake in excluding Turkey from Europe owing to Germany's domestic political security." In February 2004, CDU leader and now chancellor candidate Angela Merkel caused a row when she suggested that the European Union (EU) should consider granting Turkey only a "privileged partnership" as opposed to full membership.

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