Germany Had the Choice

摘要

Sunday, 26 September 2021, was the day when Germans were asked to elect a new parliament - and with it a new - male or female - chancellor. For many Germans, the most drastic change brought about by these elections is the fact that Angela Merkel will no longer be Chancellor in the next legislative period. She is ending her impressive career at the age of 67, although she will continue to be a member of the Bundestag as an ordinary MR This change in personnel also marked the election campaign. More than ever before, the campaign has been characterised by a focus on the three candidates for chancellor - Annalena Baerbock of the Greens, Armin Laschet of the CDU and Olaf Scholz of the SPD (in alphabetical order, for heaven's sake...). The people - not the political programmes of their respective parties - were at the forefront of public discussion, and weeks before the election it was already apparent that there would be a change in the composition of the Government. Previously, Germany had been governed for three legislative periods - twelve years - by a so-called grand coalition of CDU/ CSU (centre/right, the CSU is the sister party of the CDU and only active in the state of Bavaria) and SPD (centre/left). However, both major parties had already announced before the election that a continuation of the grand coalition was out of the question for them.