VZCZCXRO8633
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHLZ RUEHPOD
DE RUEHMZ #0102 0671448
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 071448Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL MUNICH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4324
RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS MUNICH 000102 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV GM
SUBJECT: CSU AND SPD FARE POORLY IN BAVARIAN MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS; 
SMALL PARTIES GAIN 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1.  March 2 municipal elections in Bavaria exposed weakness on the 
part of the Christian Social Union (CSU) and Social Democratic Party 
(SPD), while showing significant gains for the smaller parties.  The 
CSU's poor showing in larger cities has raised concern among the 
CSU's leadership that the party, while in no danger of losing its 
absolute majority, may face increasing challenges from a variety of 
parties in the 2008 state elections.  End summary. 
 
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SMALL PARTIES REAL WINNERS 
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¶2.  While elements of both the CSU and SPD claim to have been the 
victors in Bavaria's March 2 municipal elections, the real winners 
were the smaller parties, including the Independents (Freie 
Waehler), the Greens, and the Free Democratic Party (FDP).  Compared 
with the last municipal elections in 2002, the CSU lost 5.8 
percentage points, and the SPD 2.5 percentage points.  This 
translated into the CSU's worst result in municipal elections since 
1966 with the party winning 40.3 percent of the vote, and an SPD low 
since 1946 of 22.6 percent across Bavaria.  SPD incumbents were 
re-elected mayor in several larger cities, with 66.7 percent of the 
vote in Munich, 64.2 percent in Nuremberg, and 80.1 percent in 
Fuerth. 
 
¶3.  The CSU remained the strongest party overall, doing particularly 
well in rural areas, and may ultimately end up winning up to 50 of 
71 Landrat (district administrator) positions.  (Note: In some 
districts and cities, there will be second ballots on March 16, 
including major cities such as Augsburg, Regensburg and Wuerzburg.) 
The small parties saw an increase in support throughout Bavaria, 
particularly the Independents, with 19 percent of the vote, the 
Greens at 8.2 percent, and the FDP with 3.8 percent - its second 
best communal election result in Bavaria.  Voter turnout, however, 
dropped below 2002 levels -- in some cities, not even half of the 
population went to the polls. 
 
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GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? 
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¶4.  Reactions from the CSU and SPD leadership were mixed.   CSU 
Chairman Erwin Huber praised the election result as a good omen for 
the 2008 state elections, while Minister-President Guenther 
Beckstein warned that the CSU had to repair some negative 
developments and sharpen its profile in order to defend its absolute 
majority.  CSU Bundestag Caucus Chairman Peter Ramsauer reportedly 
said in a CSU board meeting that the election results were a 
"wake-up call."  SPD Landtag (state legislature) Caucus Chairman 
Franz Maget said the SPD's success in large cities was a 
demonstration that the CSU was no longer invincible, while Bavarian 
SPD chairman Ludwig Stiegler warned that without an increase in the 
SPD's voter base in rural areas, the party would do badly in the 
Landtag elections. 
 
¶5.  Bavarian political observers note that despite the lowest crime 
rate in over a decade, and perennially low unemployment, many voters 
appeared relatively discontent with the status quo this year, 
helping explain the weak showing by the larger parties.  Smokers 
were dissatisfied with Bavaria's rigid smoking ban, medical doctors 
were unhappy with health reforms, others complained about 
educational and social shortcomings, and in Munich a majority of 
citizens have expressed opposition to the CSU-promoted Transrapid 
maglev train project. 
 
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COMMENT 
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¶6.  While municipal elections tend to be a referendum on "grass 
roots" issues and don't necessarily translate into broader 
implications for state and national voting, the CSU has reason to be 
concerned about the strength of the SPD-Greens alliances in large 
cities such as Munich and Nuremberg.  Recent polls show the CSU 
would win about 50 percent of the vote if statewide elections were 
held today.  Although the CSU is in no danger of losing its absolute 
majority in Bavaria, these results are well below the 55-60 percent 
Huber and Beckstein hope to see when voters go to the polls in the 
2008 Landtag elections. 
 
¶7.  This report has been coordinated with Embassy Berlin. 
 
¶8.  Previous reporting from Munich is available on our SIPRNET 
website at www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/munich/ . 
 
NELSON