Germany today has a handful of hot issues that could make for divisive politics, but thanks to Merkel, are gestating in an undramatic process.

Due to globalization, the country's cherished social welfare state is changing. Their economy is changing drastically, although it is still the largest exporter of goods, but for the first time since the 1930's, not every German has a job. Since 1950, Germany was one of the few countries in history that had more jobs then population. By a huge margin. Their solution was the guest worker program. Unfortunately, that brought with it, an immigration problem. Immigration enriched the culture, but due to lack of jobs, and poor immigration policies, there is a large percentage of integration phobic immigrants who are unemployed and living off social welfare. Germany today is the destination of choice for unhappy people from the third world, because it pays for rent/heat/food/education of any of it's legal, and illegal, occupants. And the state pays a monthly stipend for every child. You can get rich there by just knocking out a kid every year. That is THE huge political problem of Germany. The last election sent a strong message to the Greens (who have been in bed with the SPD), that their crazy immigration policies are no longer affordable by the state. Also, as in the US, many voters are very unhappy about government bailouts for big business and their fat cat executives. Merkel is the statesman pushing compensation limits for business executives on the EU and world bank niveau. And it looks like she's going to be successful.

Thus, the vote gain of the FDP was due to an anti-vote for the SPD, and CDU, in some measure, as they are seen as the party of the got-bucks fat cats. The voting shift was also regional, the more socialist oriented north, losing more votes for the Social Democrats (SPD), and the happy rich south holding steady as they go. It's Oktoberfest season, everything's good in the world with them. Wait till Berlin decides to tax brats, then the CDU will have a problem in its home base.

Merkel however represents the modern Germans perfectly. She's able, educated, low key, results oriented. And a degreed physicist. It never hurts to understand the mechanics of the world, and being able to do math.

Let's not forget she is white and of Christian descent (if not actually practicing). It can't be ignored that underlying some of the sentiment is that native Germans don't want to pay Turks to have lots of babies and re-populate their nation with dark-skinned Muslims.