NOW that Chancellor Gerhard Schroder has held,and deliberately lost,a vote of confidence in the Bundestag,Germany's lower house of parliament,the stage is set for an early election,probably on September 18th.It could yet be called off,either by the federal president or by the Constitutional Court.But that would be a shame for Germany-and for Europe.The ruling Social Democrat (sPD)/Green coalition has lost its way and looks certain to lose in September.A new government led by Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) offers the best chance of reviving Europe's biggest economy,whose slow growth has blighted the neighbourhood.
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