Germany (Washington Insider Magazine) -The three top candidates in German’s national elections are all holding their final rallies on Friday and Saturday as the country heads towards a future without Angela Merkel at the helm. Armin Laschet of the CDU/CSU, Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats and Annalena Baerbock of the Greens are all going into the final hurdle unsure of who will win the most votes come Sunday.
Polls put the SPD in a fractional lead at 25% whilst the CDU/CSU sit just behind at 22%. The Greens are in a close third at 17% whilst the Free Democrats fill out the rear at 12%.
The three frontrunner’s rallies were all dwarfed by the anti-climate change rallies being held across the country. Predominantly aimed at and attended by students, the rallies encapsulated student frustration at what they perceive as a lack of attention directed at their wishes and concerns. Around 100,000 people were addressed by world-famous climate activist Great Thunberg outside the Reichstag building that houses the German parliament. Speaking on the urgency of climate change she told the crowd “We can no longer leave this to the people in power”.
Despite the enthusiasm for green policy in Germany, many remain skeptical of Baerbock’s lack of political experience. Whilst her eco-credentials are widely appreciated, there is a wariness of her ability to step up to the world stage, leaving the Greens in a tough position in a time of global geopolitical tensions.
Whoever manages to hold the lead by Sunday, it is unlikely the government’s composition will be clear for some time. There is a range of coalitions that look possible at this point. The most likely seems to be a so-called ‘traffic light’ coalition between the SDP, Greens and FDP, named after the party’s colors. It’s also possible a ‘Jamaica’ alliance, named after the Jamaican flag’s colors, could be made up between the CDU, Greens and FDP. Another potential option is a ‘red-red-green’ coalition between the SPD, Greens and Die Linke, who have links to the old Communist Party of the GDR.
Merkel’s departure after so long is seen as the main cause of the race being so open. Who knows what a Germany after she steps down is going to look like?