The parties position themselves for the Bundestag election. Follow all developments in the news blog.
Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet has expressly apologized for his massively criticized laugh on the sidelines of a joint appearance with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier after the flood disaster. Steinmeier stood relatively far away at the time, “I didn’t hear what he was talking about,” said the CDU boss on the ZDF program “Klartext”. Someone next to him made a comment at the time. “And I laughed about it. That annoys me. That was stupid, but I can’t undo it.” After the flood disaster, he canceled all appointments, drove to the flood area in North Rhine-Westphalia and heard many stories. “You can believe me that this affects me,” said Laschet.
When asked for an explanation for the disastrous polling figures of the Union, the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister replied: “We’re noticing that it is going to be running out.” The voters, and people not chosen by the polls, would decide on September 26th – “and I just recommend that we wait these 17 days now”. He is aiming for first place in the Bundestag election and does not want to be a junior partner in a coalition. (09/09/2021)
Blume: “Of course we would be better off with Söder”
According to CSU General Secretary Markus Blume, the Union’s low polls in the federal election campaign have to do with Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU). “Of course we would be better off with Markus Söder”, he said to that mirrors. However, Blume also emphasized that it is now not a question of “getting right in retrospect, but rather making the Union the strongest force. We’ll subordinate everything to that”.
Despite the poor starting position with surveys for the Union between 20 and 25 percent, Blume was confident that the party congress could bring about a change in trend. “We now have to put on the combat suit, as Edmund Stoiber said earlier, and unironed. We will see a closed CSU and a determined party leader Markus Söder.” The accusation that Söder and the CSU made life difficult for Laschet with their taunts, Blume called “a sham argumentation”. The CSU general secretary also told the magazine which slogan would have been on the CSU election posters had the power struggle for the candidacy for chancellor started months ago in Söder’s favor: “Ready for Germany.”
When asked about the criticism from the CSU, Laschet only said: “There are many in the CSU who also support, including Markus Söder.” He is a guest on Saturday at the Christian Socialist party conference. CSU Vice Manfred Weber said that they wanted Laschet to move into the Chancellery. “CDU and CSU are in the same boat and we fight together.” That will become clear at the party congress. (09/09/2021)
Merkel has not yet given up the election
In view of the historically low poll numbers for her party, Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) has not yet lost the Bundestag election, but shows that an election victory will be difficult. “We’ll be billed at the end,” said Merkel at a press conference in Berlin. One is still in the middle of the election campaign. “I can feel that there is really fighting there,” said Merkel, who has been Chancellor since 2005, but then added after a short pause: “The fact that you don’t come back to the Chancellery automatically and effortlessly after 16 years was in everyone’s mind the CDU and CSU clear. ” (09.09.2021)
Söder: The trend reversal has to come at the weekend
According to CSU leader Markus Söder, the Union, which is in the historical polls, is running out of time for a change in mood before the general election. “If there is still a chance to break the trend, it will be this weekend,” said Söder. The CSU wanted to initiate the turnaround with its party congress on Friday and Saturday in Nuremberg. Without addressing it directly, Söder should also add the second triall of the top candidates from Union, SPD and Greens to the weekend of the decision, which is due next Sunday on ARD and ZDF.
Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) is expected in Nuremberg at the party congress on Saturday. For Söder it is clear that the Union can only win the election if they work together: “It is not a question of style now. We all have to bargain.”
Despite the bad poll results – the Union was recently between 19 and 25 percent nationwide, the CSU in Bavaria only 28 percent – Söder still sees the chance of an election victory and especially social issues in the foreground: “We as a Union have to make it clear that We are there for the little people, for the small businesses, the self-employed, the master craftsmen, but also for those who have problems with rents, care costs or pensions in the big cities. We need an offensive for significantly more housing benefits in the highly polluted regions, in order to make living affordable in addition to the rent brake. ” (09/09/2021)
Maaßen calls for Priens to be removed from Laschet’s “future team”
Around two and a half weeks before the Bundestag election, the CDU Bundestag candidate in southern Thuringia, Hans-Georg Maaßen, has called for the Schleswig-Holstein Education Minister Karin Prien to be removed from the so-called “future team” of Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (both also CDU). The former President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution said image on the grounds that it was to be feared “that it will become an ongoing burden for all candidates”.
On Tuesday evening in the ZDF program “Markus Lanz”, when asked how she thinks that Maaßen was set up by the CDU in southern Thuringia, Prien said: “I have to accept that, even if I’m not at all enthusiastic about it, of course ask me what Mr Maassen is actually looking for in the CDU. “
When asked whether she would vote for Maaßen if she lived in his constituency, Prien said: “I’ll put it this way, I’m always fascinated by competitive athletes.” Maaßen also competes against the Olympic champion and former national biathlon coach Frank Ullrich (SPD) in constituency 196.
Of the image Maaßen said: “I am shocked by Ms. Prien’s statement, as she, as a member of Armin Laschet’s competence team, is massively damaging our election campaign in the currently very difficult situation.” Laschet presented his so-called “future team” at the end of last week.
Maassen’s line-up is criticized by large parts of the CDU. He is controversial because of his stance on the federal government’s refugee policy, among other things. Politicians from the SPD, the Greens and the Left have repeatedly accused the CDU of fishing with measures on the right. Maassen also sparked outrage a few weeks ago with the accusation of tendentious reporting against the public media. (09.09.2021)
Scholz: Union should “now recover in the opposition”
The SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz has described it as his personal goal that the Union ends up in the opposition after the federal election. Scholz did not explicitly rule out an alliance with the Left Party on Tuesday evening in the ARD “Wahlarena”.
“You can be sure that this is my whole goal, as I have the impression, by the way, that of many citizens, that the CDU / CSU can now recover in the opposition,” said Scholz when asked by a spectator whether he can be sure that there is no longer a new grand coalition.
When asked by another viewer whether he could vote for the SPD without lifting the left into a government, Scholz said that he could vote for the SPD and that the questions he had asked would certainly be answered. The man had given as reasons for his skepticism concerns, among other things, about the transatlantic relationship and the further development of the EU.
Scholz reiterated that Germany must also work with the US on security. That also applies to NATO. “For me there can only be one government that is completely clear about this.” That must be clear from day one.
When asked whether he would then rule out a coalition with the left, Scholz emphasized that there was a “very, very democratic momentum” in Germany at the moment. The future coalition will not be made out in the back room. “Now is the time for the citizens to decide,” said Scholz. It depends on the Chancellor. (08.09.2021)