The three Chancellor candidates Olaf Scholz (SPD), Armin Laschet (CDU) and Annalena Baerbock (Greens) showed fairness at the beginning of the first triell shortly before the general election. When asked why one of the other candidates “cannot be Chancellor”, they each refused to answer. “I believe that this is not the style that we should cultivate in Germany, that we say about the others what they cannot,” said Scholz on Sunday in the discussion on RTL and ntv. “We should promote what is important to us.”
Laschet also emphasized that he would rather advertise what he stands for. “The voter is not interested in why I think someone else is bad, but he asks: Why do you think you can do it.” Baerbock did the same. She emphasized: “We need a real departure now.”
Issue in Afghanistan
The three candidates for chancellor are calling for Germany’s security role to be strengthened following the disaster that led to the withdrawal of NATO from Afghanistan. Laschet reiterated his call for the creation of a National Security Council linked to the Chancellery. “We will have to equip our Bundeswehr better,” he said. The Taliban’s triumphant advance in Afghanistan is a disaster for the West and the German government.
Baerbock accused the federal government of ducking away in Afghanistan. “They put domestic political motives above foreign policy responsibility,” she said. Baerbock also criticized the fact that the Foreign Office did not issue visas for those in need of protection quickly enough.
Scholz, whose party friend Heiko Maas is at the helm of the Federal Foreign Office, called for international cooperation to be strengthened and for Bundeswehr soldiers to be available for missions to protect peace and security in the future. He claimed that with him as finance minister, the defense budget had risen to over 50 billion euros. “The bad time for the Bundeswehr was in the black-yellow coalition,” said Scholz.
Climate protection topic
When it comes to climate protection, Baerbock accuses Scholz of only playing the fighter against climate change in the election campaign. If the next government doesn’t aim everything towards climate neutrality, Germany will have a “fat problem”. Politicians must set clear priorities and not duck back: “We need clean heating in the basements,” said the Green Chancellor candidate as an example.
And in the direction of Laschet, Baerbock said: “Obviously you have no plan.” The CDU must finally submit proposals and not just torpedo proposals from other parties.
Subject school policy in the pandemic
The candidate of the Greens was combative when it came to dealing with politics with children in the corona pandemic. The federal government should take on more responsibility for children and families in emergency situations such as the corona pandemic, said Baerbock. “That is why the federal government should in the future, for example, take part in the financing of air filter equipment in schools or all-day care (…).” To the address of the incumbent coalition of the Union and the SPD, Baerbock said: “A policy that always says, let’s wait and see, let’s not do anything, has resulted in children not going to school for a year and a half.”
The Bundestag should have advocated open schools across parliamentary groups despite Corona and the installation of air filters. Laschet countered that Baerbock was deceiving citizens when they said that the federal government did not secure the schools. “That is a matter of the federal states, and the Greens co-rule in eleven countries.”
SPD Chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz did not accept the accusation that the financial support for air filters in schools was tough because of him as finance minister. “The funds are available and have been available for a long time,” said Scholz. There was now an agreement with the federal states that took a while. But now bills are to be expected from air filters that have already been installed.
Internal security issue
Laschet advocates increased video surveillance of public spaces against crime and acts of violence. Women felt the most unsafe in underpasses, tunnels and parks, he said in response to a question on Sunday at the first major TV triall shortly before the general election. On the other hand, Baerbock said: “Unfortunately, women are the most insecure in their own four walls.” She pointed out attacks by partners and ex-partners.
Moderator Kloeppel led a current Forsa survey, according to which 50 percent of women felt unsafe at train stations and stops. Scholz said video surveillance is a possibility that is already being used and that he advocates. Baerbock, on the other hand, warned against setting up a cardboard comrade with the cameras: “I want us to equip our police better.” Police stations should not be closed in rural areas.
Subject tax policy
Laschet attacked Scholz and Baerbock on tax policy. “It’s a social democratic approach, whenever you can, the Greens are also involved in raising taxes,” he said. Tax increase ideas from the SPD and the Greens are “foolish”. He is in favor of the complete elimination of the solidarity surcharge and a corporate tax rate similar to that in France, for example, so that German companies do not migrate in the internal market.
Finance Minister Scholz was strictly against tax cuts. “I’m in favor of us balancing our tax system a little better by having people who are in my income bracket or above pay a little more,” he said. When asked, he confirmed that he earns around 200,000 euros a year. Scholz emphasized that the top tax rate, which applies relatively early today, should only apply later. On the other hand, it should increase by three percentage points for those who have a very high income. Tax cuts for companies with very high profits and very high incomes are not possible with the current national debt.
Baerbock said it was deeply unjust that one in five children lived in poverty. Therefore, a basic child security is necessary. When asked what a family could save under a Chancellor Baerbock, she said that for a single parent with two children this would be 2000 euros if you add up the planned relief and the basic child benefits.