The whole of Germany is on its toes, anxious waiting for the elections day on Sunday as the nation will go to the polls. Released stats show that the Social Democratic Party leads the poll but with a small margin as other parties have edged closer.
Only a few days are left before people cast their votes, and political parties hope that their campaign strategies will be fruitful. The SDP dominated the polls, but the Insa for German newspaper Bild showed that Conservatives were closing down the gap behind SDP. According to Bild’s presentation, the Conservatives are only 3% points behind the SDP.
A popularity trail depicts that the center-left SPD attracted the spotlight in August after its chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz performed well in campaigning. Scholz, the current finance minister, and the vice-chancellor is very popular among the citizens compared to Armin Laschet. His party’s strength was attributed to its manifesto, which included “left-leaning taxation and social policies, a pro-EU stance and flexible debt brake rules.” Such strategies seemed favorable to the public, who might want a new setup after Merkel leaves the high throne [Source]. Figures on the polls revealed the SDP is getting 25% of the vote compared to 22% for the alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Unions with 15% for the Green Party.
These percentages are too aligned, and analysts have noted that the election will be too close to call. Others alluded to previous elections in which Germans were found to favor “stability.” In the current setup, it means the SDP will be victors in the Sunday elections if history is to dictate results.
Scholz has been propelling favors for his party from the public through exhibiting prowess in different areas. He won the three televised debates between the main candidates, including Laschet and Annalena Baerbock of the Green Party. After an intense discussion on climate protection, security, taxation, and foreign and economic policies, the public is tasked with voting for the winner. Sunday’s debate showed 42% votes for Scholz, 27% for Laschet, and 25% for Baerbock [Source]. Gerlinde Groitl, assistant professor of International Politics and Transatlantic Relations at the University of Regensburg, commented on the narrow differences between the parties’ polls numbers and said, “The interesting story about this election is about how unpredictable it has been in recent weeks to determine who will lead the country after the election.”
There has been a buzz about a coalition government being formed, as Scholz and Laschet aired out that idea during a debate. Projections have shown that none of the parties is going to win sufficient seats to govern alone. Scholz and Laschet concurred on having the CDU/CSU become the new main opposition party of the nation and avoid joining a coalition government. Both aspiring leaders opposed the idea of forming a coalition with the far-right Alternative for Germany but were willing to join forces with all the other political parties.
Political analysts gave viable coalitions which might be formed in the state. Some said a “Green-Red-Red” union composed of the Greens, SPD, and far-left Die Linke party could be created, or a “traffic light” coalition which includes the SDP, Greens, and liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP). When it comes to the co-existence of FDP and the SDP, it was noted that “The FDP wants to be in a coalition government, but they have various gaps to bridge with the Social Democrats – they are far apart in terms of tax policy, social policy, etc. – and we have a couple of coalition options probably on the table beginning next Sunday.”
In relation to forming a coalition government, analysts agreed that it would need intense, prolonged negotiations for that plan to work. But for now, the Germans prepare themselves to vote for a new government, and all the political parties can only hope for a win since this promises to be a tightly contested election.
