German expats not surprised by Merkel's win
MOST GERMAN expats in Thailand said they were not surprised to see Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) return to power, while the German ambassador to Thailand said the countries' ties would not be affected, no matter which party joined the c
“There’s a good tradition in Germany, in that there’s a consensus for foreign policies no matter what the government looks like. I think it is a fair guess that my country’s foreign policy will continue to have a very strong emphasis on Europe, strong commitment to Nato, and what’s more important to me as the ambassador in Bangkok, strong commitment to Asia, Southeast Asia and Asean,” Ambassador Rolf Schulze said.
Maximilan Selle, a German businessman in Thailand, said he was not surprised to see Merkel’s party leading, adding that it would not make much of a difference if the Social Democratic Party (SPD) or the Green Party joined the coalition, as neither is extremist. Selle was attending a celebration at the embassy that continued well after midnight on Sunday,
“The only solution would be if the CDU joined hands with the SPD. Otherwise, the government would lack stability,” he said
Meanwhile, Karl-Heinz Heckhausen, president of the German-Thai Chamber of Commerce, said: “Of course the Greens, the environmentalists, want to be in power, but since Germany has so many issues to handle, I think CDU and SPD will go together very well. There is no way to see the CDU and the Greens join up, because the Greens want to push for enormous tax increases,” he said, adding that judging from his 15 years in Thailand, no foreign policy related to Thailand would be changed.
Air Marshal Rungsun Chaeng-chenkit, who studied in Germany and runs a business there, said he expected Merkel to win, as she had never abused her power, did not indulge in luxuries and had been a strong leader. “She is decisive. For instance, she pulled out of building a nuclear energy plant after learning from Japan’s Fukushima disaster,” he said, adding that in comparison, SPD’s Peer Steinbrueck loved indulging in luxuries and was involved in some financial controversies.
