Triell of the Chancellor Candidates: Much attack, few ideas

During the second television discussion between the candidates for chancellor from the Union, SPD and Greens, things got down to business at times. According to surveys, Olaf Scholz was in the lead in the end. Still, it was a good evening for all three.

Annalena Baerbock, Armin Laschet and Olaf Scholz can be satisfied with themselves. You entered the triall with different requirements and fulfilled them. However, the event was not groundbreaking.

The pressure was greatest for Union chancellor candidate Laschet. For him, the Triell was the end of a weekend, which for him was about bringing himself and the Union out of the mood. It’s still too early to say whether this was really the hoped-for turnaround – this weekend should be no less with a speech by Laschet at the CSU party congress and the Triell, according to CSU boss Markus Söder.

Laschet left sympathy points

But Laschet stayed in the game after the CSU finally got behind him on Saturday, half staged, half heartily. Laschet’s main goal was – unsurprisingly – SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz. Laschet attacked him on almost every topic.

That has stimulated the debate, but not necessarily the Union campaign. Because Laschet has left sympathy points in favor of his demonstratively presented courage to fight. And thus doing something of a favor for the competitor from the SPD, Olaf Scholz: With his attacks he lured the often stoic Scholz out of his reserve. He was able to show: Look here, I can also discuss lively and sharp.

Baerbock lets the men argue

Scholz’s task was to keep the competitor at a distance. That was also successful, but both Baerbock and Laschet were able to make up some ground. Exactly that, to make up ground, was Baerbock’s main task, because the Greens are currently in third place in polls behind the SPD and Union.

Baerbock was smart enough to stay out of the two men’s arguments for the most part. Instead, she teased that, unlike the two gentlemen, she wanted to talk about the future and presented herself as a candidate against “keep it up”, unsurprisingly, particularly clearly when it comes to climate protection.

No new ideas in sight

Baerbock’s appearance earned her mainly points of sympathy, but you can’t buy much from it. The surveys following the Trielli continued to see Scholz clearly ahead of the other two, but also contained a glimmer of hope for Baerbock and Laschet – their values ​​were slightly lower before the Trielli. Scholz, on the other hand, has apparently at least not been harmed by the constant attacks.

So the appearance was worth it for all three. However, he has also shown that anyone who hopes for new ideas in the final phase of the election campaign is likely to be disappointed.