In Germany, Grand Coalitions of the two major parties - the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD) - generally have a bad reputation. Hence, the CDU/CSU-SPD government under Angela Merkel (2005-2009) was neither the parties' nor the citizens' preferred choice, its performance was seen quite critical from the outset, and it was finished without further ado after the 2009 federal election. Has the Grand Coalition 2005-2009 been a single episode or rather a turning point for German politics? This book provides a retrospective of the first Merkel government, an analysis of the 2009 election and an account of its prospective consequences.

Autorentext
SILVA BOLGHERINI Assistant Professor for Political Science, Faculty of Sociology, University of Naples Federico II, Italy.

FLORIAN GROTZ Pro tempore Chair for German Government and Politics, Leuphana University Lüneburg, and Adjunct Professor (Privatdozent) for Political Science, Free University of Berlin, Germany.

Inhalt
Introduction: The Grand Coalition 2005-2009 - a Single Episode or a Turning Point?; S.Bolgherini & F.Grotz PART I: THE LEGACIES OF THE GRAND COALITION New Possibilities or Permanent Gridlock? The Policies and Politics of the Grand Coalition; R.Zohlnhofer Towards a New German Federalism? How the 2006 Constitutional Reform did (not) change the Dynamics of the Federal System; J. von Blumenthal Multi-level Party Politics during the Grand Coalition: Electoral Outcomes at Lander Level; S.Bolgherini & F.Grotz Still the Driving Force of European Integration? The EU Policy Pursued by the Grand Coalition; G.Muller-Brandeck-Bocquet PART II: THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS OF SEPTEMBER 27, 2009 A Post-Modern Campaign? The Sleepy Run-up to the 2009 Federal Election; G.Bulli The Choice for Stability: The Results of the 2009 Federal Election; M.Caciagli An Electorate on the Move: Explaining Vote Choice in the 2009 Federal Election; B.Wessels PART III: THE NEW GOVERNMENT AND THE CHALLENGES AHEAD Coalition-building in Germany 2009: Simulating Real Politics, Preparing Merkel III?; S.S.Schuttemeyer A Fresh Start or More of the Same? The Domestic Policy Agenda of the Center-Right Coalition; R.Sturm The 'Grand Coalition State' between Past and Present. Continuities and Discontinuities of a Changing Political System; G.D'Ottavio Conclusion: The Long Shadow of the Grand Coalition; F.Grotz & S.Bolgherini