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Cup run brightens Germany's mood
BERLIN (Reuters) -- A wave of patriotic fervor swept Germany on Sunday despite their football team's 2-0 loss to Brazil in the World Cup final, and the "feel-good" mood is expected to carry over into the country's economy and politics. Tens of thousands of Germany fans waved their black, red and gold flags on streets and squares in an outburst of national pride in a country where displays of patriotism were long suppressed by guilt over World War Two. Germany were not expected to progress very far in the tournament in South Korea and Japan but advancing to the final sharply shifted the nation's mood. Gone is the gloom over the sluggish economy, falling stock prices and a wave of corporate bankruptcies. Also wiped away are fears of a period of political uncertainty and stagnation ahead of a general election in September. "The team's unexpected success is definitely making the country's outlook brighter," said Dietmar Herz, political scientist at Erfurt University. "There's been a thorough improvement in the national mood. The good feeling from soccer is eclipsing everything else at the moment." "We're a happy folk," said Armin Ost, 40, explaining why he and tens of thousands of his compatriots were celebrating with fireworks and Germany flags in central Berlin. BOOSTED CONSUMER CONFIDENCE Economists have said Germany's World Cup run had boosted consumer confidence and encouraged spending that could accelerate growth in Europe's biggest economy. Political analysts also said the 'feel-good' mood sweeping the country could enhance Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's slim chances of winning re-election on September 22. No incumbent chancellor has lost the ensuing election in the six previous times Germany reached the World Cup finals: 1954, 1966, 1974, 1982, 1986, 1990. Schroeder's predecessor Helmut Kohl came from behind to win re-election, for example, in 1987 and 1990. Schroeder and his centre-left Social Democrats currently trail conservative rival Edmund Stoiber in opinion polls by about five percent -- in large part due to voter frustration over unemployment and feeble economic growth. "The positive sentiment always helps the government in power," said Herz. "It helps voters forget about all the other things that have gone wrong. No one seems disappointed about the final loss because nobody expected them to get that far." Schroeder has been busy trying to capitalise on that 'feel-good factor', grabbing every opportunity to show the soccer skills he honed as an amateur soccer player and leaping for joy in front of photographers when Germany scored a goal. "All of Germany is proud of the team," Schroeder said on Sunday. "The team has greatly enhanced the image of our country. They demonstrated confidence without being arrogant." ECONOMIC IMPACT Top German government economic advisers said last week Germany's World Cup run could help spur growth. "It would certainly have an effect," said Bert Ruerup. "I'd be speculating a bit if I said we'd see the boom that France did in 1998, but it could help shake off some of the consumer gloom we have here in Germany." An astonishing surge in demand for Germany flags and beer continued despite the loss. "I sold a couple of hundred and could easily have sold a couple of thousand flags today," said Alice Kovemo at a flag store in Berlin. "Germans never usually buy flags. We only sell a few dozen all year, mostly to American tourists." Petra Woerner, a 55-year-old architect who bought the first German flag in her life on Sunday, said times change. "Normally I wouldn't wave a German flag," she said. "We are still wary about nationalism. But we're getting more relaxed. It's okay to wave the flag for the soccer team. The mood is very good." Copyright 2002 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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