In droves, voters turn away from the CDU and CSU - is the FDP helping the Union?
A comment by Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis.
You always meet twice.
When the Liberals flew out of the Bundestag in 2013 with 4.8 percent, Merkel's fortunate men Hermann Gröhe and Volker Kauder sang “On days like these” at the top of their hearts.
Many of the FDP noticed this - and they also registered how neglected they were recently treated by Söders CSU, which preferred to flirt with the Greens than with the partner of yore.
But lo and behold: In the election this autumn, of all things, Christian Lindner's re-energized party could become the rescue package for a union that is increasingly going into free fall as a result of its corona mismanagement.
The latest alarm signal: In Eastern Bavaria, only 33 percent of voters currently favor the CSU, which until recently was barely able to walk.
On the other hand, the liberals benefit from the fact that they are offering an alternative to the increasingly unpopular lockdown policy of the Union, the SPD and the Greens in their corona policy.
If the current trends stabilize, it could happen that the FDP will tip the scales on the evening of the election on September 26th in Berlin - namely when the percentage of liberals decides whether Germany will in future from a traffic light from the Greens, the SPD and FDP is governed or by a Jamaica alliance of the Union, Greens and FDP.
It is difficult to imagine that the FDP would give preference to the Greens over the CDU
Ironically, the Free Democrats reviled by the Union could ultimately save the Union from the acute threat of power loss.
Because despite all the liberal openness, it seems difficult to imagine that the FDP would give preference to a green chancellor Annalena Baerbock in case of doubt over a Merkel heir from the Union camp, regardless of whether his name is Laschet or Söder.
It would not be a mistake, however, if the CSU boss - like his rival - distributed his favor a little more evenly between the FDP and the Greens in the future.