German Election

[mindlight]

This Sunday Germans will vote for the members of their parliament (Bundestag). These elected reps will then select the Chancellor with an absolute majority of votes.

The main parties and candidates are

1) CDU/CSU - big state , small military , centre right. (Merkel)

2) SPD - ditto but centre left (Schultz)

3) Die Linke - Democratic Commies , do well in East Germany

4) Greens - as on the label , centre left

5) FDP - neo liberal economics, social liberals - centre right

6) AFD - Right wing - anti immigrant, anti-Muslim, bring back Deutsch Mark, not that pro EU, Germany First

The CDU are doing well with the SPD in second and the AFD surprisingly strong in third.

1) who do you think will win and what kind of coalition will result?

2) Who do you think would be best for Germany?

3) what are the real issues that this election should be addressing?

4) Will this election change anything internationally?

What do you think about the German election?

 

[Nithavela]

I think calling "Die Linke" commies is not correct.

 

[brinny]

Praying for Germany and all the people at this pivotal time (((hug)))

 

[Targaryen]

Unless Merkel's approval ratings have taken a significant nose dive, I can't see the CDU not forming government again with the SPD in opposition. AfD worries me...this rise of the ultra-far-right in Europe is usually concerning to me, whether it's UKIP, Front National or so on. The Guardian was seeming to think in some of it's own polling that AfD could be leading the opposition, which had me alarmed,but hopefully common sense wins out and SPD continue to lead the opposition.

 

[mindlight]

I think calling "Die Linke" commies is not correct.

Must admit I have never understood why people vote for them. Maybe you could explain it to me.

 

[mindlight]

Unless Merkel's approval ratings have taken a significant nose dive, I can't see the CDU not forming government again with the SPD in opposition. AfD worries me...this rise of the ultra-far-right in Europe is usually concerning to me, whether it's UKIP, Front National or so on. The Guardian was seeming to think in some of it's own polling that AfD could be leading the opposition, which had me alarmed,but hopefully common sense wins out and SPD continue to lead the opposition.

The most likely combination is CDU - SPD coalition with Merkel in charge. She is probably the best person to lead Germany right now. She definitely has the most international credibility.

None of my work colleagues are voting for them however, they are voting green or AFD. The AFD guys think all immigrants are thieves or Muslim terrorists and said Europe is falling apart so we should look after Germany first. Basically they resent bailing out Greece, blame Merkel for Brexit, think the East Europeans are not doing what they are told in the EU anyway and that we have let in too many immigrants. The Greens were about dealing with Climate Change but since Merkel is a strong advocate I did not understand why a person would vote green- i said it was a wasted vote but they pointed out they had done a good job running Baden - Wutternberg

Another colleague said he was voting Die Linke. To me they seem to be a bunch of Marxist academics and a little wierd albeit not into violent revolution. But I did not really understand the case he was making for them beyond a vague concern for poor people and a complex description of the failures of the capitalist system

 

[redleghunter]

This Sunday Germans will vote for the members of their parliament (Bundestag). These elected reps will then select the Chancellor with an absolute majority of votes.

The main parties and candidates are

1) CDU/CSU - big state , small military , centre right. (Merkel)

2) SPD - ditto but centre left (Schultz)

3) Die Linke - Democratic Commies , do well in East Germany

4) Greens - as on the label , centre left

5) FDP - neo liberal economics, social liberals - centre right

6) AFD - Right wing - anti immigrant, anti-Muslim, bring back Deutsch Mark, not that pro EU, Germany First

The CDU are doing well with the SPD in second and the AFD surprisingly strong in third.

1) who do you think will win and what kind of coalition will result?

2) Who do you think would be best for Germany?

3) what are the real issues that this election should be addressing?

4) Will this election change anything internationally?

What do you think about the German election?

Don't think Germans are going to rock the boat. Merkel and her party have been in power for a long time. When there is uncertainty people stick with what they know.

 

[Nithavela]

Must admit I have never understood why people vote for them. Maybe you could explain it to me.

I think their voter base are people with a lasting case of Ostalgie and other victims of the DDR, young and naive leftists and people who vote mainly based on workers rights and union politics.

Also, together with the AFD, they are the only parties who have a chance of being part of the government without being part of the mainstream that just seems to blend together in boring unity under merkel.

Me? I don't vote for them, but I wouldn't call them communists. They are socialists.

 

[Arcangl86]

Has the FDP recovered at all? I was shocked the last election when they lost all their seats.

 

[mindlight]

Don't think Germans are going to rock the boat. Merkel and her party have been in power for a long time. When there is uncertainty people stick with what they know.

With so many changes going on and with all the other candidates being so dangerous to the stability of the European- American alliance (because of their feelings about Trump) I agree. Also Merkels party are the only ones serious about defending the country and raising its military budget , the others are quite delusional on this issue. This is especially important with the UK leaving the European arrangement and with French defence cuts going through.

 

[mindlight]

I think their voter base are people with a lasting case of Ostalgie and other victims of the DDR, young and naive leftists and people who vote mainly based on workers rights and union politics.

Also, together with the AFD, they are the only parties who have a chance of being part of the government without being part of the mainstream that just seems to blend together in boring unity under merkel.

Me? I don't vote for them, but I wouldn't call them communists. They are socialists.

Yes I was surprised at how many students were into Die Linke. I would have hoped the recent Hamburg riots would have sabotaged their agenda but there was even sympathy inside Hamburg amongst suburban housewives for these Leftists. It seems naïve to me but then I saw the difference between East and West Germany before the wall came down with my own eyes. This socialist version of the Communism that ruled then simply would not work in practice.

Yes the coalition is boring and in the long run it is not good to have only extremists in opposition to the main government. Right now stability and continuity seems more important and Merkel the best person to reconcile the conflicting interests of a united Germany. But in the long term there are serious criticisms to be made about low rates of growth in the German economy ,structures that seem to bless multinational profit margins at the expense of ordinary workers and the ongoing demographic problem of a low birth rate.

 

[mindlight]

Has the FDP recovered at all? I was shocked the last election when they lost all their seats.

It looks like the FDP might break 5% this time and get back into parliament. So there is also the potential of a CDU- FDP coalition if the CDU does well enough

Opinion polling for the German federal election, 2017 - Wikipedia

 

[Nithavela]

Yes I was surprised at how many students were into Die Linke. I would have hoped the recent Hamburg riots would have sabotaged their agenda but there was even sympathy inside Hamburg amongst suburban housewives for these Leftists.

While a majority of the followers who vote for Linke think that the protests in Hamburg were justified, the parlamentary socialism of this party is a far cry from putting fire to cars and looting shops.

Also, in my experience many students are leftists because that's just the thing to be in their social circle. Once they get out of university and into the workforce, they quickly turn around and become hardline neoliberal investment bankers or conservative homebodies. Few stick to their convictions of the student years. Maybe they want to impress their peers.

Yes the coalition is boring and in the long run it is not good to have only extremists in opposition to the main government. Right now stability and continuity seems more important and Merkel the best person to reconcile the conflicting interests of a united Germany. But in the long term there are serious criticisms to be made about low rates of growth in the German economy ,structures that seem to bless multinational profit margins at the expense of ordinary workers and the ongoing demographic problem of a low birth rate.

The true problem is the lack of political discourse in germany. The CDU is just trundling along and dissuading any controversy, the SPD doesn't really want to have their goals accomplished, Grüne are just conservatives with a bicycle, FDP is completely out. The whole political scene has been sedated into just stumbling along in a daze, and nobody cares anymore.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Don't think Germans are going to rock the boat. Merkel and her party have been in power for a long time. When there is uncertainty people stick with what they know.

That worked for the US in their last election, oh wait.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

The German exchange student I had last year said he supports the AFD. It seems pretty popular with the younger people.

 

[mindlight]

While a majority of the followers who vote for Linke think that the protests in Hamburg were justified, the parlamentary socialism of this party is a far cry from putting fire to cars and looting shops.

Also, in my experience many students are leftists because that's just the thing to be in their social circle. Once they get out of university and into the workforce, they quickly turn around and become hardline neoliberal investment bankers or conservative homebodies. Few stick to their convictions of the student years. Maybe they want to impress their peers.

Well the system does seem to be - while a student you rebel until you are bored with that and then you conform and become a square muggle voting SPD or CDU. But maybe if there was some substance to the Leftist agenda people would stick with it. It does seem to me that the student years are largely wasted ones in Germany from the point of view of real politics and a real search for meaning. They are dominated by wierdness, hot air and falsity. Getting a job and living in the real world it would be very easy to dismiss the whole political and religious angle of student life as utter nonsense.

The true problem is the lack of political discourse in germany. The CDU is just trundling along and dissuading any controversy, the SPD doesn't really want to have their goals accomplished, Grüne are just conservatives with a bicycle, FDP is completely out. The whole political scene has been sedated into just stumbling along in a daze, and nobody cares anymore.

There is a distinct lack of angry passion in Schultz and Merkel. Their TV debate was downright civilised and most of their differences quite subtle and nuanced. It was quite clear both expect to work with each other after the election so I guess both figured there was little point wrecking the relationship to score points. Maybe that is a reflection on the party machines that are a little zealous in vetting out emotional train wrecks, the over passionate , those with new ideas and agendas. It makes politics slightly false and very boring. Decisions are always measured compromises between what the establishment consider to be the reasonable options.

Europe is another example where the consensus overwhelms debate. All the main parties are uncritical supporters. But when decisions are dubious ones like the decision to keep Greece in the Euro at great expense there should be more possibility for dissent. I think the AFD have drawn considerable power from that unthinking conformity within the establishment being very different from the thoughts and feelings of German citizens. Many AFD supporters do feel disempowered and there is great danger in that as BREXIT and Trump and indeed Macrons En Marche have demonstrated.

Also there are missing conversations in the German political discourse. Objectively speaking from an international perspective the real issues are the defence of the nation ( and especially with the US German alliance being so fragile) , the health of the economy and of The Germans big post war project the EU. The first 2 issues are not really being engaged with at all and there is a lack of real discourse about the challenges of the European project also.

It is all a little wierd really.

 

[Nithavela]

Well the system does seem to be - while a student you rebel until you are bored with that and then you conform and become a square muggle voting SPD or CDU. But maybe if there was some substance to the Leftist agenda people would stick with it. It does seem to me that the student years are largely wasted ones in Germany from the point of view of real politics and a real search for meaning. They are dominated by wierdness, hot air and falsity. Getting a job and living in the real world it would be very easy to dismiss the whole political and religious angle of student life as utter nonsense.

I don't think it's so much the fact that they go into "real life" and suddenly realise that their leftist viewpoints were foolish and they finally see reason. I just think that most people are all for high taxation until the day they actually get a job and have to pay taxes.

We germans don't really dig "angry passion" in politics. Or passion in general. I'd just prefer several parties with clear viewpoints and you get to vote for the one that represents you the most.

As it was, I decided to participate in the "Wahl-O-Mat", an online quiz where you could set your preferences, and then you got to see which party agreed on which issue. I did so and then voted for the party that had the highest similarity to my choices.

 

[mindlight]

I don't think it's so much the fact that they go into "real life" and suddenly realise that their leftist viewpoints were foolish and they finally see reason. I just think that most people are all for high taxation until the day they actually get a job and have to pay taxes.

We germans don't really dig "angry passion" in politics. Or passion in general. I'd just prefer several parties with clear viewpoints and you get to vote for the one that represents you the most.

As it was, I decided to participate in the "Wahl-O-Mat", an online quiz where you could set your preferences, and then you got to see which party agreed on which issue. I did so and then voted for the party that had the highest similarity to my choices.

Www.wahl-o-mat.de

Got 65% CDU. But since I do not have a vote here it is just a recommendation

 

[Nithavela]

Www.wahl-o-mat.de

Got 65% CDU. But since I do not have a vote here it is just a recommendation

My best result was 80.3 or something like that.

 

[mindlight]

My best result was 80.3 or something like that.

When I did not fully understand the question I left it blank. Maybe with better German my % would have been higher