Oppermann
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Chancellor Merkel's approval rating rises, could very well remain Chancellor
- Thread starter -Plasma Reus-
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Oppermann
Kanhir
Member
I'm voting SPD, mainly because I believe that the hardline Christian beliefs of the CDU (and Merkel herself) are putting Germany behind its peers in terms of progressive issues like same-sex marriage and commercial shutdowns on Sundays. I'm not a fan of religion leading politics like this.
Gurgelhals
Member
Too much Grand Coalition isn't really a good thing though. If you look at a country like Austria, it can lead to a point where both major parties are seen as spent forces and that's the kind of political vacuum where far-right populists can surge past the 30% mark.
That's the power of the Leitkultur! The SPD is in the biggest crisis if someone like de Maziere would be win over them.
Merkel is probably the best choice if Schulz and the SPD don't up their game in the coming months.
Fantastapotamus
Wrong about commas, wrong about everything
To be fair, we also have tremendously stupid politicians
The problem in Austria is that both parties tried to cater to the FPÖ voters and it dramatically backfired.
For some time the CDU(and even more the CSU) tried the same but Merkel mostly ignored Seehofer(thankfully).
1.21Gigawatts
Banned
I've encountered a lot of people on the right who kinda came up with little conspiracy theories about Merkel and her approval ratings. They basically claim that Merkel is actually very unpopular and a majority of Germans doesn't like the EU and is anti-immigration.
And the mainstream media is working towards covering up these facts and silencing the secret majority.
I think this arose out of the specific informational bubbles find themselves in. If you get most of your information online and already have your go to (anti EU, anti immigrant) sources you will likely get the impression that Merkel is terrible and nobody likes her.
Bottom line is that germans like calm and careful politicians. Merkel is basically the prototype of a modern german politician. Additionally she has been doing a pretty good job so far. Germans always like to complain, but the vast majority realizes that things are going pretty good.
This is exactly what makes it so hard for other parties to rise up currently.
Years ago Merkel channeled the term "politische Mitte" (political middle), this wasn't just empty rhetoric. She successfully created a platform with such widespread appeal that other parties are struggling to stand out with fundamentally different ideas and true alternatives.
The best example for this is probably the incorporation of green energy plans into her center right platform.
For decades environmental protection and green energy were the issues of the "Greens".
But Merkel made Germany one of the frontrunners of green energy and environmental protections and now the Greens face some kind of identity crisis.
And lastly, Merkel is a safe bet in uncertain times. Germans are anxious people.
The only thing that could prevent a 4th term for Merkel is Merkel herself. A little over a year ago there was a period were I thought she has had enough, but that changed and now she seems well prepared for another 4 years, Trump and Brexit have energized her. She is a woman of principles and she seems to think she is the best person to defend these threatened principles for another 4 years.
Even though I never for her or her party, I tend to agree.
Sickboy007
Member
Please drop Schäuble
1.21Gigawatts
Banned
France just elected Schäuble 2.0
gutter_trash
Banned
Napalm_Frank
Member
Time to beat God into Greece once again.
PdotMichael
Banned
That's not how it works.
Gurgelhals
Member
#LowEnergySchulz :-( I guess r/the_schulz has to start parodying those Jeb! memes now, lol.
FDP at 12%? O_O I honestly thought they were done for four years ago. Is there a realistic prospect for black/yellow or black/yellow/green on the federal level if this trend continues?
7.5% AFD is still 7.5% too much.
FDP at 12%? O_O I honestly thought they were done for four years ago. Is there a realistic prospect for black/yellow or black/yellow/green on the federal level if this trend continues?
7.5% AFD is still 7.5% too much.
More liberal than Bernie Sanders?
gutter_trash
Banned
she is more of a Brian Mulroney than a Stephen Harper
The four most important reason to vote were not federal politics.
And to be honest. I would consider people who look at Berlin when voting in NRW for pretty big idiots. Regardless of the party.
Orniletter
Banned
Exactly what I said on the first page: Schulz's nothing-but-hot-air populism is not working and actively hurting the SPD's grey-voters. Add medium-ish dissatisfaction with our current state government and voila .
PdotMichael
Banned
It's always interesting to see how the latest elections are a result of Schulz not of four years of subpar goverment in the states.
The US Republicans have turend into crazy extremists during the past 50 years and have managed to skew American understanding of what conservatism means. They have shifted the entire nation so far right that almost anything is considered leftist in the USA of today. From the point of view of other nations, even the US Democrats are a right wing party, more right wing than Germany's CDU. Another example: Liberalism does not mean left-wing at all in other countries, and certainly is not an insult (which makes no sense at all). Liberty means freedom.
The rest of the world views US Republicans as radical nutjobs, not people with a sane political agenda.
Principate
Saint Titanfall
State elections in germanys biggest state (usually SPD territory)
Schulz is done
Is that the actual result rather than polls? if so damn...
SPD lost 3 out of 3 elections since schulz is leading them.
Polls have seen SPD tanking again with now 10 points between them and the CDU.
Majority of germans think Merkel is a better candidate than Schulz. They have nothing going for them.
He is done. The only question is how big she wins.
-Plasma Reus-
Service guarantees member status
Chancellor Merkel indeed.State elections in germanys biggest state (usually SPD territory)
Schulz is done
MaddenNFL64
Member
16 years in power, goddamn.
The US's 2 term limit at least means Trump can't be president for too long, but it also means capable leaders like Obama are done too quickly, making way for shit like Trump.
Catch 22.
The US's 2 term limit at least means Trump can't be president for too long, but it also means capable leaders like Obama are done too quickly, making way for shit like Trump.
Catch 22.
oh god I need to leave this country then
By american standards she is almost a communist. Conservative means something very different here in germany.
The US president is much more powerful and the system prevents that he loses that power during a term. The german chanclor is only head of government, not head of state, can be blocked more easily and a vote of confidence(among other systems) can remove a chanclor from power.
Also the president of germany (head of state) has the same 2 term restriction btw.
DontBeThatGuy
Member
I bet Obama and Michelle don't.
hobblygobbly
Member
Yep NRW pretty much sums up the electorate mood so the upcoming result in September is obvious.
This is also not how it works. Merkel is strictly against marriage for everyone, so yes, she is a conservative.
Conservative in Europe does not tend to be the same as in the US, US basically has what for a lot of countries would be an extreme right (republicans) and a right party (democrats), so conservative in the case of the US is extreme right, Merkel would be borderline extreme left in the US.
Also, not a feminist. She has been kinda celebrated as a feminist icon since Trump acted like a child, but she is definitly no feminist and describe herself not as one.
Bitch Pudding
Member
State elections in germanys biggest state (usually SPD territory)
Schulz is done
The only question which will be answered in fall 2017 is which party will be Merkel's junior partner.
No, stop that. The differences between the US and European politics cannot be simplified to a shift on a one-dimensional scale. It's more complicated than that.
If you begin to pick single points as evidence for what someone is not then nobody will be anything.
Yes she is conservative for german standards, but every party in germany outside of the AFD would be left of the 2 big us parties.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-austria-politics-idUKKCN18A0EX
Looks like their be election in Austria too god how many elections we need in euorpe haha
Looks like their be election in Austria too god how many elections we need in euorpe haha
His Majesty
Banned
It's pretty clear that Merkel has shifted more to the right since the beginning of the refugee crisis no?
Wouldn't she though? Obviously a lot of it is cultural differences, but that doesn't change the fact that if Merkel believes there what she believes here she would be to the left of the democrats which are very much considered a left party in the US.
Not really. She held out when her party wanted to enact a cap on refugees but merkel declined.
She(And the EU) made a deal with Turkey to stop people from trying to cross the mediterranean into Greece.
Unless the Greens and SPD also moved to the right she actually stayed pretty firm.
For everyone saying this has no effect on the federal elections:
State elections in germanys biggest state (usually SPD territory)
Schulz is done
What's most interesting to me is the massive gains of the FDP and the losses of the Greens. - where did those come from?
Often CDU/CSU's victories are somewhat pyrrhic because they're party fueled by people shifting their votes from the FDP to the CDU.
Like, where did the green voters go, also the Pirates? Certainly not towards the AfD, i would guess.
Costa Kid
Member
I would rather the strong and stable (lol) government like in Germany than in the US where the entire country's politics does a u-turn every eight years.
Gurgelhals
Member
So, this is going to be another CDU-led grand coalition, isn't it? Not enough seats for a CDU/FDP coaltion (at least if the Left manages to hold on to their projected 5%). Or would the Greens actually be willing to go into a coalition with the CDU and the FDP?
Muffin1611
Banned
My biggest concerns with the CDU, hence I hoped the SPD could win the election in September.
Not looking good at this point.
Would not say that straight out. The CDU declared coutries like Afgahnistan as safe countries, from which refugees are no longer accepted.
And the party didnt do this with her approval.
Of course, the overall course didnt changed. But there went a couple of thing by that deserved more attention.
With the SPD as a junior partner there is still hope for good reforms. Mindestlohn, Frauenquote, everything stuff that was a SPD thing.
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