The parties position themselves for the Bundestag election. Follow all developments in the news blog.
The CSU chairman Markus Söder and the Greens boss Robert Habeck have certified Germany that they have coped well with the corona pandemic. “The bottom line is that went well,” said Söder in a dispute with Habeck that was shown on Saturday evening by Spiegel, T-Online and Vice magazine as a video stream. In this case, the Greens and the Union were very close to each other in the risk assessment. “We protected our country well in this extremely exceptional situation.”
Habeck objected that the focus on the problems of the schools had been sharpened too late. It also took a long time, for example, until masks were procured or the vaccination campaign got going. Overall, however, he made it clear that he shares the benevolent assessment of the Bavarian Prime Minister: “All in all, we saw that the government’s guidelines or actions were correct.”
Söder and Habeck also agreed on their assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. A dispute arose over the question of whether to return to the debt brake once the financial consequences of the pandemic have been overcome. Habeck wants to finance investments in climate protection and infrastructure with loans, Söder insists on compliance with the rules that apply before the pandemic. In addition, as Söder reiterated, the Union wants to enforce tax relief and completely abolish the solidarity surcharge. The Greens, on the other hand, want to increase income tax for high earners from 100,000 euros (couples from 200,000 euros) and inheritance tax to finance investments.
Both politicians, of whom it is said behind closed doors that they might have been the better candidates for chancellor in their games, fought for a long time over the question of which federal state had pushed the energy transition the furthest. While söder emphasized that Bavaria was also one of the leading federal states in this area, Habeck, who was previously a minister in Schleswig-Holstein, accused Söder of delaying the planning of the north-south power lines by years. (08/28/2021)
Union and SPD on par, Greens closely behind
About a month before the federal election, the SPD is also in ZDF political barometer drawn level with the Union. If there were to be a federal election next Sunday, 22 percent of the voters would vote for the CDU / CSU and the SPD. The Social Democrats improve their value compared to the last Politbarometer by three percentage points, the Union loses four points. For the SPD, this is the best poll value in a political barometer for four years.
Closely behind – and still in the area of the fault tolerance of three points – are the Greens, who improve to 20 percent (plus one). The AfD remains at eleven percent, the FDP and the Left deteriorate by one percentage point to ten and six percent respectively.
When it comes to the personal values of the candidates for chancellor, Olaf Scholz (SPD) is once again way ahead. 65 percent of those questioned put him in the position. With Armin Laschet (CDU) it is only 25 percent, with Annalena Baerbock (Greens) 22 percent. If the Federal Chancellor could be directly elected, 49 percent would vote for Scholz (plus five). Laschet would only get 17 percent (minus four), Baerbock would remain unchanged at 16 percent.
From Tuesday to Thursday, the Elections Research Group interviewed 1,300 randomly selected representative voters by telephone. In a survey published by the Forsa Institute earlier this week, the Social Democrats even came to 23 percent, making them the strongest political force in a Sunday issue for the first time in many years.
In principle, election surveys only reflect the opinion at the time of the survey and are not predictions of the outcome of the election. You are also always fraught with uncertainties. Among other things, declining party ties and increasingly short-term voting decisions make it more difficult for opinion research institutes to weight the data collected.
Hans: Laschet has to present the government team
After weak polls, the Saarland Prime Minister Tobias Hans asked for Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (both CDU) to present a team of possible ministers. “We must finally show what the Union stands for and with whom we want to shape the future of the country in addition to the candidate for chancellor,” said Hans der Rheinische Post.
In today’s ministerial ranks and at the top of the Bundestag faction, there are “many capable minds” who are believed to be responsible for the country. “I am a fan of saying who is on a team and who is on which topics before the election. I am sure that this will now be initiated,” said Hans.
Laschet is under pressure about four weeks before the general election because of the poor poll results from the Union. CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak stood behind him and ruled out an exchange of the candidate for chancellor. “The candidate question has long been decided, and we are now fighting together for our country so that it goes in the right direction. With Armin Laschet at the top and together with the CSU. We want to win together,” said Ziemiak New Osnabrück Newspaper. (08/27/2021)
Söder: Bavaria is not responsible for the surveys
CSU boss Markus Söder attributes the bad values of the union mainly to the CDU. “Bavaria is not responsible for the polls,” said the Bavarian Prime Minister Passauer Neue Presse and the Danube Courier. He would “honestly wish” that more campaigns for Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet in the CDU. “We are fighting against this in Bavaria for the Union and have been campaigning for more commitment and commitment for weeks.” “One thing is clear: It will be really close now. That’s why we finally have to start fighting.
It’s all about everything, “he continued.” There is a risk of a left slide – regardless of whether through a traffic light or a left-wing coalition: In the end there would be tax increases, economic disadvantages and uncertain times are printed and the election posters are pasted, so it doesn’t make sense to talk about swapping candidates. ” (08/26/2021)
Swiss Post is preparing for more than 60 percent of postal voters
Deutsche Post DHL is assuming significantly more postal voters for this year’s general election than in the 2017 general election. “Postal voting can take on a large scale,” said Tobias Meyer, Board Member for Post and Parcel Germany, the newspapers of the Funke media group. The company is prepared for the fact that more than 60 percent of the voters can make use of the postal vote.
The Post Group Management Board expects a largely trouble-free process. “There will always be challenges somewhere that we have to face,” said Meyer. If, for example, a letter cannot be read automatically, it will be processed manually and delivered anyway. “We’ll have to see whether we can always do it on the same day. That is why it is important to observe the deadlines.” He advises voters who want to be on the safe side not to send the letters as registered mail. “The documents should be returned as they are intended, as the extradition procedures have been coordinated with the authorities.” (08/26/2021)