Live blog
As of: 09/21/2021 8:09 am
Five days before the federal election, Union Chancellor candidate Laschet warned the FDP against a coalition with the SPD and the Greens. FDP leader Lindner again criticized the Union’s “lurching course” in financial policy. All developments in the live blog.
8:09 am
Laschet criticizes the setting of topics in TV trials
Union chancellor candidate Armin Laschet has criticized the content of the TV trialles. “Bourgeois positions were in the minority in all trials,” said Laschet of the “Passauer Neue Presse” and the “Donaukurier”. In the country it is different, “the people do not want a left alliance to turn our country inside out”. The third triall on Sunday proved “how close the SPD and the Greens are already, and how congruent many of their positions are with the Left Party”. “She was already at the triall desk, so to speak,” criticized the Union politician.
8:07 am
Punk rock band The doctors mobilize to vote
With strongly political songs on the new album “Dunkel” the Berlin punk rock band Die Ärzte wants to mobilize more participation in the election. “The album will come out shortly before the election. And I would actually wish – I know, a megalomaniac wish – but that three more people would vote because of that, then I’ll have achieved everything,” said guitarist Farin Urlaub of the dpa. In his song, dedicated to democracy, it says: “Your cross against swastikas, that’s how it begins / to resist hatred.” In conversation with significantly younger people, he stated that “those who take democracy for granted that it is simply no longer interesting at all”. The song “Doof” also shows a clear political edge. Nobody chooses Nazis just out of ignorance, it says, and further: “Nazis are Nazis because they want to be Nazis.”
8:07 am
Laschet warns FDP about traffic lights
Armin Laschet has warned the FDP against a coalition with the SPD and the Greens. “The FDP would be threatened with expulsion at a traffic light – because the left would be ready immediately. And Christian Lindner knows that the Union is a reliable partner,” said the CDU politician of the “Passauer Neue Presse” and the “Donaukurier”. According to recent surveys, a traffic light – an alliance between the FDP, the Greens and the SPD – would have a majority. According to FDP leader Christian Lindner, in practice there is little in common between his party and Red-Green.
8:07 am
DGB day of action for secure pensions
The German trade union federation wants to campaign for a secure pension today at a nationwide day of action. Five days before the general election, the DGB and its member unions want to campaign to keep the pension level at at least 48 percent. The Bundestag election will be a vote on long-term, viable, fair and sustainable policy, according to the trade union federation. As part of the day of action, trade unionists want to inform commuters and passers-by in more than 200 locations at train stations and marketplaces about the pension issue. In the opinion of the DGB, the prerequisite for a secure pension is an increased minimum wage to twelve euros and greater collective bargaining coverage for salaries.
8:07 am
Lindner criticizes the Union’s “rolling course”
FDP leader Christian Lindner has blamed a financial policy dodging course of Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet and CSU leader Markus Söder for the Union’s crisis in the election campaign. The Union has lost its inner center with contradicting statements on tax relief and the debt brake, said Lindner of the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. According to Lindner, Söder would not be in a better position as a candidate for chancellor either.
Both Söder and Laschet had contradicted statements from their own election platform, which promised tax relief and compliance with the debt brake, said Lindner. “If you are so unclear on these questions and send contradicting messages, claiming one thing and the opposite within 14 days, then you currently do not have the inner center”, criticized Lindner. In surveys, Laschet is currently behind the SPD’s candidate for chancellor, Olaf Scholz. The SPD is currently the strongest force in all surveys, but the gap to the Union has recently narrowed in some cases.