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"ampel-koalition"

English translation: traffic light coalition

09:09 Sep 21, 2009

German to English translations [Non-PRO]
Social Sciences - Government / Politics / coalition politics

German term or phrase: "ampel-koalition"

Current German federal elections, where the FDP party has ruled out ""ampel-koalition"" with the Red-Green (SPD-Green Party).

joyarjun1

English translation:traffic light coalition

Explanation:
It's awfully awkward, but this is what it's called.

Selected response from:

Lingua.Franca
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:08

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Summary of answers provided

4 +6

traffic light coalition

Lingua.Franca

three-way coalition

Helen Shiner

Answers

19 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

traffic light coalition

Explanation:
It's awfully awkward, but this is what it's called.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_light_coalition

Lingua.Franca
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:08
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

9 mins confidence:

three-way coalition

Explanation:
I think this is how it is normally said:
http://tvnz.co.nz/content/91615

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Note added at 10 mins (2009-09-21 09:19:54 GMT)
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In a lively television debate on Monday night, there was only one point of agreement between the Greens, the Left Party and the liberal Free Democrats (FDP). The administration of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) with their rival Social Democrats (SPD) was, they agreed, a disaster that must not be repeated.

Then, one by one, they dismissed the alternatives, in particular a series of three-way coalition options viewed by political analysts as the way of the future in Germany’s increasingly fragmented five-party electoral landscape.
“We want to end the grand coalition and prevent a left-wing government,” said FDP leader Guido Westerwelle, in a dig at the Left Party and the Greens.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0916/12242546...

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Note added at 1 day5 hrs (2009-09-22 14:29:02 GMT)
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Thanks for your comments. I am afraid that I don't specialise in this field, so I would not be the best person to advise you on this. Perhaps you would get a more useful response if you posted your question as a forum thread.

Helen Shiner
United Kingdom
Local time: 18:08
Native speaker of:

English

Notes to answerer

Asker: I think your explanation explains the phrase best; a literal translation does not mean anything in the particular context as I provided. Thank you so much! Incidentally, could you please suggest an online dictionary that deals with such phrases used esp. in the German magazines and newspapers? Also a web site, or paper dictionary, for explaining the various nouns and verbs with different prefixes (Einrichtung, Vorrichtung; Zufahrt, Auffahrt, Einfaht, etc.) and their differences?

Asker: 3-way coalition is revealing enough, only, is the colour of FDP yellow? If that were so, then red-yellow-green 3-way coalition would be the most perfect and satisfactory explanation.