Dundorf

[TheNick]

Hans Meyer (NDZP) Defeats President Johanssohn (GPP) and Wins Presidential Election
May 5705

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President-elect Hans Meyer (NDZP) campaigning in Grozvic last month.

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Dunburg - In a surprising upset, the Nordenhausen Allgemeine Zeitung can project that the joint NDZP-KBP Presidential candidate, Hans Meyer, has won the second round of voting against incumbent President Franz Johanssohn, supported by the Greens, Social-Democrats and the Socialists. The current margin of victory is inferior to 1% and represents the closest Presidential election result since direct elections were reinstated in 5690.

Mr. Meyer, a Hosian Democrat member of Bundestag from Julstoch, married since 26 years with Brigitte and father to three sons, launched his campaign last December in what appeared to be a long-shot: the incumbent President had good ratings and was supported by a very broad leftist coalition. But during the campaign, Mr. Meyer campaigned heavily on his moderate persona and worked hard to secure the KBP's endorsement. This allowed him to "lock" more conservative voters on his side and convince enough voters through his moderate campaign that President Johanssohn was too much of an "activist" to serve as Federal President, and that he on the contrary had the right temperament. A Zeitung exit poll suggests that Meyer's victory is a result of unprecedented mobilitization of Pirate voters in the second round (where they usually abstain) which is a result of the general and growing dissatisfaction towards the DSDP-dominated Federal Government, with Chancellor Werner (DSDP) in the role since 5690.

Other candidates in the first round were Liberal-Democratic Friedrich von Schirach, who obtained some 12% of the votes and endorsed Mr. Meyer in the second round, and Pirate candidate Dr. Theodore Engel, a former heart surgeon turned politician, who won 10% of the votes but declined to endorse someone.

President-elect Meyer will meet his former rival at Karlottenberg Schloss next week, for a dinner and to start the Presidential Transition. Chancellor Werner privately congratulated Meyer through a phone call but has no plans, at the moment, to meet the President-elect: "we will cooperate closely with Karlottenberg Schloss with whoever is the President, I'll meet the President elect once he is sworn in", Matthias Werner said. Some commentators say that this election turned out to be some sort of "referendum" on the popularity of Chancellor Werner and his party. On this, there is growing talk among political insiders that the Chancellor might actually decide to step down as leader of the Social Democratic Party before the next Federal Election, scheduled for 5707, is held.

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Full Results of the 5705 Presidential Election:

2nd Round 
(turnout 76%, +3,2% vs 5696):

- Hans Meyer (NDZP, endorsed by KBP): 42.868.713 (50,4%) - elected Federal President
- Franz Johanssohn (GPP, endorsed by DSDP and DRF): 42.268.091 (49,6%) - incumbent, lost re-election


1st Round 
(turnout 81,5%, +1,7% vs 5696):

- Franz Johanssohn (GPP, endorsed by DSDP and DRF): 42.102.741 (46,1%) - advance to runoff
- Hans Meyer (NDZP, endorsed by KBP): 28.578.729 (31,3%) - advance to runoff
- Friedrich Von Schirach (TLD): 11.215.001 (12,3%)
- Dr. Theodore Engel (PPD): 9.387.099 (10,3%)