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Pastimes : Kosovo -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: GUSTAVE JAEGER who wrote (15822)	1/24/2000 7:14:00 AM
From: MNI	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 17770

Gustave, pretty post, and your explanation sounds more likely today, at least if you aren't in Germany. However, you seem to assume that the 'damage' goes mostly towards Kohl. The opposite is true: while Kohl's image has deteriorated, his party (as opposed to him, the political person) suffer the stronger blows. During the last two weeks it has become visible, if not obvious, that Kohl not only does not accept loyalty to his party, but is engaged in obstructing his inheritors. While Kohl has moved from #2 or #3 in personal approval ratings to #7 or #8 (depending on polling institute) since November, a similar move was actually predictable. Kohl had a temporary popularity high ten years after reunification, and naturally, that would fade away in a few months. However, the party had a popularity high of 55% of approval in November, and now is in the historic low of 32%; discussed yesterday whether they should split (first time ever); face bankruptcy if parliamentary proceedings yield the legitimate results (I doubt if they will; look out for 400+ mln refunding and legal fee claims two years from now); are going on in a self-destructive process with no hope of a halt; are facing outside pressures that are likely to restart the self-destruction-machinery if ever it should come to accidental inactivity. As a result we may say that while Kohl was hurtingly damaged, he is still a politician; also still has a positive approval rate; his party otoh is in an EXISTENTIAL crisis. Btw, CDU chairman W.Schaeuble had to endure a steeper descend in personal approval rates than Kohl, and is now in the negative numbers; and the same is true for virtually every CDU politician that is publicly known. There are two that can file slight gains: Andrea Merkel, secretary general, who was - apart from buffs like me and you - widely unknown, and 'young wild' Matthias Wulf who still has to make it to the top ten in approval, if I am not wrong; Kurt Biedenkopf played it easy and did not engage in the financial scandal disasters, and thereby held his standing as top-approved politician. Regards MNI.