Past Events

18 Nov’16 – Sleeping with Your Opponents: Post-Election Coalitions in Germany

sleeping with your opponents

Penang Institute is proud to bring you Sleeping with Your Opponents: Post-Election Coalitions in Germany. You are cordially invited to attend this seminar as scheduled below:-

Date     : 18 November 2016 (Friday)
Time    : 8.00pm – 10.00pm (Registration starts at 7.30pm)
Venue  : KLSCAH Auditorium

When political opponents kiss and hug each other, is that shameless expediency? Applaudable reconciliation? Or just necessary evil in mature multiparty democracy?

Post-war Germany has always been ruled by coalition governments. Unlike coalitions in Malaysia, coalitions are formed after elections and will be dissolved when elections are called. The primary consideration of coalition partners is not ideological affinity, but legislative strength. After every election, most voters will find the parties they support sharing power with their enemies, and sometime even supporting policies they oppose in elections.

With the exception of Blakc-Green, German coalitions come in almost all combinations of all major parties: Christian Democrats (Black), Social Democrats (Red), Free Democrats (Yellow), Green Party (Green), Left Party (Dark Red). And parties form different coalitions at the Federal, Land (State) and Municipal levels.

Aren’t German voters confused? Don’t they become cynical with politics and political parties over time?
 
Penang Institute is proud to host Marc Saxer, Resident Representative of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) India and an acclaimed German political analyst, to present a lecture on coalitions in German politics.

FREE ADMISSION! Due to limited seats, registration is encouraged. Kindly register your interest at this link.