Status: 19.09.2021 10:33 p.m.
Social system, tax policy, climate protection: In their third and last TV triad, Laschet, Scholz and Baerbock worked their way through many relevant topics again. Often there were two clear camps.
A week before the federal election, the Chancellor candidates from the Union, SPD and Greens faced a third and final TV triall. In many subject areas, the differences between the SPD and the Greens on the one hand and the Union on the other became clear.
SPD candidate Olaf Scholz and the Green candidate Annelena Baerbock unanimously demanded an increase in the statutory minimum wage to twelve euros. There are ten million citizens who would benefit from it, said Scholz and spoke of a “necessary and correct reform”. He confirmed that he would implement the measure in a possible government he would lead in the first year. “Citizens can rely on that.”
Laschet: task of the bargaining parties
Baerbock referred in particular to the situation of single parents and criticized them for being in a “poverty trap”. These injustices must finally be reversed. At the same time, she pleaded for basic child security. “For one thing, we need a minimum wage of twelve euros,” she said. “And we have to finally get children out of poverty.”
Union candidate Armin Laschet said that people with the lowest incomes should be better off. However, he refused to allow politicians to raise the minimum wage. This is a task of the collective bargaining parties, he emphasized. Good politics must create more growth and jobs – “and then make the difference between those who earn a lot and those who earn little small in the middle.” This goes, for example, through tax measures or collective agreements.
Dispute over reform of the social system
Scholz and Baerbock also promised a restructuring of the social system. “I think we have to change something in the computing system,” said Scholz. He called for standard rates to be more generous and for higher benefits to be paid for housing and livelihood security as well as higher child benefit. Here, too, Baerbock expressed largely solidarity. “Every third recipient is a child in the Hartz IV system,” she said. The Greens wanted a guarantee and that rates would be increased by 50 euros.
Laschet protested. “Hartz IV is not a profession,” he said. “The biggest problem of poverty is when parents have no jobs.” That is why a federal government must do everything to get people into work.
Relieve low-income earners – but how?
The three candidates also engaged in controversy on the subject of taxes. All of them emphasized that they wanted to relieve low-wage earners. However, Laschet again rejected tax increases because, in his opinion, they would slow down the economy.
On the other hand, Scholz and Baerbock spoke out in favor of tax increases for higher earners. This is necessary to finance lower incomes, said Scholz. Baerbock promised a “departure” in social justice and also pointed out that the Union had been in government for 16 years and the SPD for twelve years. “And the gap between rich and poor has widened,” she said.
Baerbock calls for climate government
On the subject of climate change, the Green candidate emphasized even more clearly how much she believed the two current governing parties had missed. She criticized the “business as usual” of the grand coalition – the climate measures that were in place were not enough. “For me that means: the next federal government must be a climate government.” It reiterated its call for an end to internal combustion engines from 2030 and an earlier phase-out of coal-fired power generation. Speaking of the debate on the cost of climate protection, she said: “If we do nothing now, it will be priceless in the future.”
Laschet complained that the environmental movement had been too long with the fight against nuclear energy. Coal should have been phased out earlier than nuclear power. Renewable energies would now have to be expanded; this would require joint European cooperation. At the same time, he warned against bans – it was about creating innovations. Laschet also spoke out in favor of abolishing the EEG surcharge for the expansion of renewable energies. “That was the largest bottom-up redistribution we’ve seen in years,” he said.
Scholz warned that German industry must become climate neutral in the next 25 years. To achieve this, efficient networks would have to be expanded and renewable energies would have to be promoted significantly. In the first year of a new government, he wanted to set expansion targets and change laws so that everything would go quickly. He accused the Union of having slowed down the expansion of the electricity grid in Germany, which is necessary for the transport of wind and solar energy, in the previous government coalition. Here the Union was “on the wrong side,” he said.
Matthias Deiß, ARD Berlin, with an assessment of the Triell
daily topics 10:45 p.m., 19.9.2021
The climate and Mickey Mouse
ProSieben presenter Linda Zervakis succeeded in loosening up the serious issue of climate change, which until a few months ago daily News-Speaker was. With the words “I brought you something nice” she pulled out a Mickey Mouse magazine. The magazine is from 1993, cost 3 marks 90. “My parents used to have a kiosk, that’s why I remembered it.”
The booklet is about the deforestation of the rainforests, said Zervakis. “Mickey Mouse was already concerned with climate change over 30 years ago.” Addressing Union Chancellor candidate Laschet, she added that “Mickey Mouse” is apparently not read as often in the CDU. Laschet countered: At the time of the issue, the CDU politician Klaus Töpfer, as environment minister, had already had the issue of climate protection on the agenda and was promoting it.
Laschet wants tougher course with internal security
One issue that Laschet emphasized was internal security. He declared that he wanted to crack down on extremist threats and clan crime. He wanted to make the fight against terrorism and the commitment to internal security a priority topic, he said. “The few who abuse the state have to be deported consistently.” Guaranteeing safety is an important task. The names of those at risk would have to be exchanged in Europe.
Baerbock said that Germany is a constitutional state and that everything should not be lumped together. She shared the concern that there was an increase in right-wing extremism and Islamism. The correct answer is more attitudes among the police and the judiciary in order to eliminate deficits. With regard to extremist threats, she said “clearly, they must be monitored”.
The SPD and the Greens want a union in opposition
In conclusion, Scholz and Baerbock emphasized that they wanted to form a government together. It was time to send the Union into the opposition, they said. Laschet replied that it was now obvious that the Bundestag election would be a directional choice. He accused both parties of deliberately not ruling out a coalition with the left.
In a Forsa flash poll published on the Sunday evening after the TV triumph by the broadcaster Sat1, 42 percent of those surveyed stated that Scholz had won the 90-minute discussion. 27 percent saw Union candidate Armin Laschet in front, 25 percent saw the Green candidate Annalena Baerbock.