The Red-Greens of Germany are coming?

News Analysis - Germany Begins to Shed Its Role as E.U. Integrator - NYTimes.com: "Mrs. Merkel’s call for the right to exclude countries like Greece actually seems linked to domestic politics before an important regional election in North Rhine-Westphalia in May. Polls suggest that the governing coalition could lose to a liberal combination of Social Democrats, Greens and the Left party."

Well, today EU leaders meet again to dwell on the topic of Europe's future. The article by Stephen Castle and Matthew Saltmarsh points out that Germany's interest no longer necessarily is Europe's interest. Angela Merkel and her CDU party have been speaking for the environment but apparently are also threatened, like Nicholas Sarkozy in France, in regional elections by a Red-Green coalition. Polls indicate that Germans are not keen on sending money to Greece, they'd rather invest via the markets in Russia, apparently.

Here in Sweden Henrik Oscarsson discuss the recent result of a SIFO poll where the most talked about topics are displayed for the different parties. Swedes fancy jobs, healthcare, education, eldercare and the environment, in this order. The Red-Greens own healthcare, eldercare and the environment. It is more even for the job and education categories. However, the Center party and the Christian Democrats have completely failed to rally for the environment and eldercare, respectively, which is perhaps the main reason for the lead of the Red-Greens over Alliansen, the rightwing governing coalition, who never since the last election 2006 was in the lead in polls.

The article thus suggests that Red-Green coalitions might be breaking Europe apart by challenging the ruling center-right coalitions. The Red-Greens have traditionally been against the EU and EMU in Sweden.