MERKEL’S PARTY CLAIMS VICTORY IN GERMAN ELECTIONS

GERMANY'S MERKEL WINNING 2ND TERM
IN NEW LINEUP IN NATIONAL ELECTIONS SUNDAY

BERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel is set to win a second term with the backing of a new center-right majority in the country's parliament. She claimed victory in national elections Sunday, with projections by public television stations putting her conservative party on a path to form a new center-right government and achieve Mrs. Merkel’s goal of ending the country’s “grand coalition” with the Social Democrats. Projections based on early returns from Sunday's general election show that Merkel's Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, took 33.8% of the ballot.

Together with the 14.6% for Free Democratic Party, the CDU/CSU was shown getting around 48% of the votes, enough to secure a new coalition government. Merkel would remain chancellor, with FDP's Westerwelle taking up the posts of vice chancellor and foreign minister. "I am satisfied and happy," Merkel told supporters after the first results came in. "Today's results ensures a stable majority. We are going to do our job in a newly-formed government, with the CDU/CSU and the FDP." Guido Westerwelle, the leader of the Free Democrats, said his party is "ready to take up responsibility and help govern Germany." THE SPD won only 23.1%, posting the biggest drop in support ever by any German party. The real winner appeared to be the business-friendly Free Democrats, who won their highest score ever in a national election.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

Now, we are blind, we are blind of power. Power. Power. And blind. Everybody wants to be politician. Nobody wants religion. Politicians. But what happens after? Politicians, they cannot establish peace. No country you see now ever enjoys peace. In future one can not. They must come to sadhus. You will not fight sadhus who have no material desires. Who has only desire to know the spiritual. "What is that spirit? And how can I know it? And till I know it I must serve mahatma, or a saint. As long as I get a glimpse of the light." So, if we do that then we can understand.

Srila Bhakti Vaibhava Puri Maharaja :

"Lecture given in Zagreb, Croatia, on May 18th 2003"