General elections in Germany are not supposed to be exciting. Nor are they expected to be unpredictable. They are certainly not intended to be revolutionary.

The mighty machines of the two great popular parties, the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), well larded with public funds, grind into gear with long and worthy manifestos. The leading candidates criss-cross the country to well-orchestrated gatherings of the faithful, uttering slogans intended to reassure but not alarm.