Pro-Merkel premier vows snap poll in German state (Roundup)

Kiel, Germany - Chancellor Angela Merkel's party consolidated its lead in Germany Monday, with a provincial premier, Peter Harry Carstensen, ejecting the ailing Social Democrats from his government in Schleswig-Holstein state. Merkel and Carstensen's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has a big lead in opinion polls and is expected to emerge as Germany's paramount party at the general election on September 27. Carstensen aims to hold a snap election on that same day. The premier said he had sacked the four Social Democrat (SPD) ministers in his cabinet as a prelude to a legislative vote this Thursday expected to terminate the state government's rule. 'Personally, it was a difficult thing to do,' said the premier after sending dismissal notices to the four. Earlier in the day, the SPD had voted against him in the state assembly when he moved for a dissolution of parliament and fresh polls. The state, which borders on Denmark, was not due to hold an election till May next year. Merkel rules at national level as well with help from the SPD. She now hopes the Social Democrats will suffer a defeat nationally, allowing her to form a new federal alliance with a smaller party, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), while CDU premiers rule a majority of the states. Carstensen formed his own coalition with the SPD in 2005. The Christian Democrats have chafed in alliances with the SPD, saying they are often unable to push through centre-right policies. Recently the two parties have quarrelled over a plan to rescue Schleswig Holstein's state bank, HSH Nordbank. The CDU first moved the dissolution of the Schleswig-Holstein assembly, but failed to win the necessary two-thirds support at the session in the state capital Kiel. The premier then initiated a different procedure, a vote of no confidence. The SPD and the opposition are committed to voting against him in that vote on Thursday, so that his government will fall. Once that happens, Carstensen will have the power to call a state election, ruling till poll day as a caretaker. Education Minister Ute Erdsiek-Rave, a Social Democrat, voiced resentment at her dismissal, saying it had been 'undignified.' She and Lothar Hay (interior), Uwe Doering (justice) and Gitta Trauernicht (social policy) had to clear their desks by midnight. Many pollsters expect the CDU to emerge as Germany's sole large party at this year's general election, with national support for the Social Democrats, formerly Germany's other natural party of power, collapsing to little more than 20 per cent.