German elections, D – 2: seven candidates in search of coalition – archyde

With the approach of the German legislative elections of September 26, The world keeps the campaign log. A daily update, with events, images, polls, clips, slogans, figures and keywords that allow you to follow and experience this electoral competition at the end of which Angela Merkel will leave power, after sixteen years in the chancellery.

After the “triels”, a “septel”. On Thursday 23 September, it was the leaders of the seven parties represented in the Bundestag and not just the three candidates for the chancellery who found themselves on the set of the ARD and ZDF channels for a final debate before the elections. Alongside Annalena Baerbock (Greens), Armin Laschet (CDU) and Olaf Scholz (SPD), who have already debated three times on television, were also present Christian Lindner (FDP), Markus Söder (CSU), Alice Weidel (AfD) and Janine Wissler (Die Linke). Unlike the other three, who have clearly shown their intention to succeed Angela Merkel as head of government, they do not have this ambition. In German, the former are called “Kanzlerkandidaten” (candidates for the chancellery), the seconds, “Spitzenkandidaten” (lead candidates)

Very well organized, this seven-party debate will have made it possible to see a little more clearly about the coalitions that can be envisaged after the election on Sunday.

Unsurprisingly, Olaf Scholz confirmed what he had already said, namely that he would gladly govern with the Greens. “Perhaps a two-party coalition will be possible”, he said, waving Annalena Baerbock. She was more cautious, contenting herself with saying that she wanted to lead the next government and dismissing back to back the SPD and the CDU-CSU, described as “Supporters of continuity”. On Sunday, she had clearly implied that she preferred to ally with the SPD, saying that the CDU-CSU should “To go into the opposition”.

Christian Lindner, President of the FDP, was eagerly awaited on this subject of alliances: in view of the scores envisaged, he could be the essential partner in the formation of a majority, either within the framework of a “Jamaican” coalition with the CDU-CSU and the Greens, or in that of a “traffic light” coalition with the SPD and the Greens.

If he prefers the first option, Lindner has however hinted that he is not closed to the idea of ​​the second. Asked about budgetary questions, he thus affirmed that the maintenance of the constitutional principle of “Debt brake” is for him a condition “Indisputable” at any entry of the liberals into a coalition, but by specifying that this does not mean that all indebtedness is unthinkable: the SPD does not say fundamentally the opposite, since Olaf Scholz also wants the maintenance of the “Debt brake” but by taking advantage of its relative flexibility (the device allows an annual deficit of up to 0.35% of GDP, or even a temporary suspension in exceptional circumstances: what Olaf Scholz did as finance minister to do facing the economic consequences of Covid-19).

You have 48.7% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.