There is a long tradition of uncompromising politics in Germany. In the Merkel era, on the other hand, passionate civil disputes were often neglected. So why is it high time to appreciate the cool political compromise.
from
Cornelius Pollmer
In October, the outgoing Chancellor said a sentence that sounds plausible in a somewhat banal way and at the same time quite significant. In an interview with this newspaper, Angela Merkel was asked what worries her when she thinks of Germany. In her response, Merkel did not talk about the pandemic or global warming. Instead she talked about social media and the now harsher political climate. Specifically, Merkel, who never peddled strong verbs in her chancellorship, said: “I’m afraid that we are getting more and more problems with the compromise that is essential in a democracy.”