The conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) party, Chancellor Angela Merkel's Chistian Democrats allies, swept to victory in a regional election in Bavaria on Sunday, only one week before national elections in Germany.
The CSU won an absolute majority while the CSU's coalition partner, the Liberal Free Democrats (FDP), failed to win representation in the regional parliament.
Bavaria is Germany's wealthiest and largest state by surface area, and is second only to North Rhine-Westphalia in terms of population.
Exit polls predicted that the CSU would likely secure just under 50 percent of the vote, a figure almost certain to translate into a majority of the 180 available seats.
The Social Democrats only won 20 percent of the vote.
Angela Merkel is the odds-on favorite in Sunday's elections. Her main challenger, Peter Steinbrück, leader of SPD, the Social Demoxcrats, is struggling on many fronts.
In an interview with a German Jewish publication ahead of Sunday’s election, Merkel declared that ‘’we will never be neutral. Israel can be sure of our support.”
‘’Germany’s support for Israel’s security is part of our national ethos, our raison d’etre,’’ she told The Jewish Voice from Germany.
She stressed that relations between Germany and Israel ‘’are very good.’’ ‘’For instance, some years ago we initiated German-Israeli intergovernmental consultations, underscoring the great political, economic and scientific importance we attach to relations between our countries in the age of globalization. Israel is still the only true democracy in the Middle East. We want to work together as closely as possible in all spheres.’’
Merkel also praised the German-Jewish renaissance promoted by her government.
‘’We’ve achieved so much in the last few years. We’ve signed an agreement with the Central Council of Jews in Germany, mirroring the agreement with the churches, and increased the Government’s payments from initially three million Euros to ten million Euros per year. We’re also supporting the great efforts undertaken by the Jewish communities to integrate Jews from Central and Eastern Europe. I had the privilege of being the first Federal Chancellor to take part in the Central Council’s annual conference and to address its members. By passing the act on circumcision we demonstrated our will to reconcile religious freedom with children’s welfare and thus protect both fundamental rights.’’