The situation on Wednesday: power factor Steinmeier

Today we are dealing with the problems of climate change for democracies, with Steinmeier's unusual administration, with a majority for extreme parties and the lightest job of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

Climate change vs. constitutional state

Jörg Carstensen / DPA

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Issue 38/2019

Our contribution to climate protection

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Just how much climate change is calling for the democracies is shown by a survey by the institute Allensbach, which is published today in the "FAZ". A majority of Germans, 57 percent, think it's good that students demonstrate for more environmental protection under the motto " Fridays for Future" . However, only 33 percent of Germans are willing to pay higher energy prices to stop climate change.

Democracies need more than authoritarian states the consent of citizens for politics. This is one of the reasons why the grand coalition is currently struggling to come up with a good concept for a new climate policy. On the one hand, it should be very effective, on the other hand, it should burden the citizens little or no burden. Until Friday, the program must stand.

Today, "Fridays for Future" is holding a press conference on the expectations of this program and the planned strike on climate change on Friday. Here is a part of the problem. Political strikes are illegal in Germany. An argument for the strikes means that the problem of climate change is so urgent that you can no longer abide by the law. However, this argument clears the way for the authoritarian climate protection state, and that is in any case a mistake.

• Global climate protests: "Fridays for Future" calls for the third global climate strike

Power factor Steinmeier

Carsten Koall / DPA

These days, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has half his term of office behind him. In the SPIEGEL of this week there is a conversation with Steinmeier, in which it is very clear what is good about this President. He has set a clear theme for his term of office, promoting open discourse, promoting liberal democracy. On this point, he was as committed as any other top politician.

In the SPIEGEL conversation he went far for a Federal President in his criticism of right-wing populism , which is also the criticism of a party, the AfD. In this regard, presidents should actually hold back. I have had this conversation with my colleague, Veit Medick, and therefore know how Steinmeier struggled for the right words, how long he had been thinking in part, until he came up with the wording that reconciled his political convictions and the demands of his office.

Since Steinmeier also prevented new elections after the Jamaica talks were over, he is not just a president who represents, he is a power factor. Today he visits Rhineland-Palatinate.

• Federal President Steinmeier in SPIEGEL conversation: "Our responsibility knows no end line"

Land of extremes

OMER MESSINGER / EPA-EFE / REX

The people, who obviously meant Steinmeier, are meeting today in Arnstadt, Thuringia for the election campaign : Alexander Gauland, Andreas Kalbitz, Björn Höcke and other leading politicians of the AfD. In a recent survey by Infratest dimap, the left is 28 and the AfD 25 percent. The two parties can certainly not lump together, and yet it remains to be noted that the majority of the interviewed Thuringia has spoken out for the extremes.

Only 42 percent were left in the opinion of the classic parties of the Federal Republic. If the state election on 27 October would end accordingly, Thuringia would be the first federal state that may no longer be in favor of the political traditions of the Federal Republic.

• Landtag elections in the new federal states: Five lessons from the elections in Brandenburg and Saxony

Winner of the day ...

FILIP SINGER / EPA-EFE / REX

... is Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer . She has two of the most difficult jobs in the Federal Republic. Kramp-Karrenbauer is defense minister, so responsible for the scandalous Bundeswehr, and she is CDU chairman, so responsible for a party that looks disoriented at the end of the long era Merkel.

Not quite as well known is that Kramp-Karrenbauer still has a third job (maybe a fourth or fifth). She is the president of the German Adult Education Association and gives a press conference today in Berlin. That sounds rather cozy, which is why the plagued Kramp Karrenbauer today may feel like the winner of the day.

The compact news overview in the morning: current and opinionated. Every morning (weekdays) at 6 o'clock. Order directly here:

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I wish you a nice start to the day.
Your Dirk Kurbjuweit