Editing Angela Merkel (section)

==== Election ====
On 30 May 2005, Merkel won the CDU/CSU nomination to challenge Chancellor [[Gerhard Schröder]] of the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] in the [[2005 German federal election|2005 federal elections]]. Her party began the campaign with a 21{{Endash}}point lead over the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|SPD]] in national opinion polls, although her personal popularity lagged behind that of the incumbent. However, the CDU/CSU campaign suffered<ref name="Saunders-2005">{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/popular-flat-tax-movement-hits-brick-wall-in-germany/article986606/|title=Popular flat-tax movement hits brick wall in Germany|first=Doug|last=Saunders|work=The Globe and Mail|date=14 September 2005|access-date=28 November 2015|archive-date=6 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306041049/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/popular-flat-tax-movement-hits-brick-wall-in-germany/article986606/|url-status=live}}</ref> when Merkel, having made economic competence central to the CDU's platform, confused [[gross income|gross]] and [[net income]] twice during a televised debate.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/cdu-panne-brutto-netto-merkel-a-368085.html|title=CDU-Panne: Brutto, netto, Merkel|last=Volkery|first=Carsten|date=3 August 2005|newspaper=Der Spiegel|access-date=19 May 2017|archive-date=5 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170205135102/http://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/cdu-panne-brutto-netto-merkel-a-368085.html|url-status=live}}</ref> She regained some momentum after she announced that she would appoint [[Paul Kirchhof]], a former judge at the German Constitutional Court and leading fiscal policy expert, as Minister of Finance.<ref name="Saunders-2005" />

Merkel and the CDU lost ground after Kirchhof proposed the introduction of a [[flat tax]] in Germany, again undermining the party's broad appeal on economic affairs.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Crawford |first1=Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FJfLtLnhZkYC&pg=PT59 |title=Angela Merkel: A Chancellorship Forged in Crisis |last2=Czuczka |first2=Tony |date=12 June 2013 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=978-1-118-64109-5 |page=135 |archive-date=27 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127161704/https://books.google.com/books?id=FJfLtLnhZkYC&pg=PT59 |url-status=live}}</ref> This was compounded by Merkel's proposal to increase [[VAT]]<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jul/12/germany.lukeharding|title=Merkel unveils tax-raising manifesto|last=Harding|first=Luke|date=11 July 2005|work=The Guardian|access-date=7 May 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=2 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002220429/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/jul/12/germany.lukeharding|url-status=live}}</ref> to reduce Germany's deficit and fill the gap in revenue from a flat tax. The SPD were able to increase their support simply by pledging not to introduce flat taxes or increase VAT.<ref name="Saunders-2005" /> Although Merkel's standing recovered after she distanced herself from Kirchhof's proposals, she remained considerably less popular than Schröder, who had been perceived as the more generally competent and trustworthy candidate.<ref name="Hilmer-2006">{{Cite journal |last1=Hilmer |first1=Richard |last2=Müller-Hilmer |first2=Rita |date=2006 |title=Die Bundestagswahl vom 18. September 2005: Votum für Wechsel in Kontinuität |trans-title=The Parliamentary Election of 18 September 2005: Verdict for a Change in Continuity |journal=Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen |language=German |issue=1/2006 |page=2}}</ref> The CDU's lead was down to 9 percentage points on the eve of the election, with Merkel having a significant lead in popularity based on opinion polls.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4257010.stm|title=Germany votes in close election|date=18 September 2005|publisher=BBC|access-date=3 May 2017|archive-date=10 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060310044057/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4257010.stm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="BBC-2005">{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4259052.stm|title=German election ends in stalemate|date=19 September 2005|publisher=BBC|access-date=5 May 2017|archive-date=18 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318214116/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4259052.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> On 18 September 2005, Merkel's CDU/CSU and Schröder's SPD went head-to-head in the national elections, with the CDU/CSU winning 35.2% (CDU 27.8% / CSU 7.5%)<ref name="Hilmer-2006" /> of the second votes{{Efn|In the [[electoral system of Germany]], "first votes" are cast for a constituency-level local representative, i.e. an individual, whereas "second votes" are cast for a party.}} to the SPD's 34.2%.<ref name="BBC-2005" /> The result was so close that both Schröder and Merkel initially claimed victory.<ref name="Packer-2014" /><ref name="BBC-2005" /> Neither the SPD{{Endash}}Green coalition nor the CDU/CSU and its preferred coalition partners, the [[Free Democratic Party (Germany)|Free Democratic Party]], held enough seats to form a majority in the Bundestag.<ref name="BBC-2005" /> A [[grand coalition]] between the CDU/CSU and SPD would face the challenge of both parties demanding the chancellorship.<ref name="BBC-2005" /><ref name="BBC News-2005" /> However, after three weeks of [[negotiation (process)|negotiations]], the two parties reached a deal for a grand coalition whereby Merkel would become Chancellor and the SPD would hold 8 of the 16 seats in the cabinet.<ref name="BBC News-2005">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4325600.stm |title=Merkel named as German chancellor |work=BBC News |date=10 October 2005 |access-date=27 August 2011 |archive-date=23 September 2013 |url-status = live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130923013433/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4325600.stm  }}</ref> The deal was approved by both parties at party conferences on 14 November 2005.<ref>{{cite news |date=14 November 2005 |title=German parties back new coalition |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4434812.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090111191948/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4434812.stm |archive-date=11 January 2009}}</ref>

Merkel was elected Chancellor by the majority of delegates (397 to 217) in the newly assembled Bundestag on 22 November 2005, but 51 members of the governing coalition voted against her.<ref>{{cite news |date=22 November 2005 |title=Merkel becomes German chancellor |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4458430.stm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051209014210/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4458430.stm |archive-date=9 December 2005}}</ref> Reports at the time indicated that the grand coalition would pursue a mix of policies, some of which differed from Merkel's political platform as leader of the opposition and candidate for Chancellor. The coalition's intent was to cut public spending whilst increasing [[VAT]] (from 16 to 19%), [[social insurance]] contributions and the top rate of [[income tax]].<ref>{{cite news|title=German coalition poised for power |date=11 November 2005 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4429518.stm |work=BBC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051125031009/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4429518.stm |archive-date=25 November 2005 |url-status = live}}</ref>

When announcing the coalition agreement, Merkel stated that the main aim of her government would be to reduce unemployment, and that it was this issue on which her government would be judged.<ref>{{cite news|title=Merkel defends German reform plan |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4431262.stm |date=12 November 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060315055446/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4431262.stm |url-status = live|archive-date=15 March 2006 }}</ref>