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As if there was no tomorrow: It is difficult to grasp how Söder and Merkel are acting

2021-04-13T14:53:04.921Z


Germany’s top politics and the Union are fighting through two core problems at the same time. The cards have been on the table for a long time. A risky game, comments Florian Naumann.


Germany’s top politics and the Union are fighting through two core problems at the same time.

The cards have been on the table for a long time.

A risky game, comments Florian Naumann.

“Time is too short” - that seems to be the motto of German politics in spring 2021.

A quite common constellation in day-to-day political business.

But: in the current conflict situation, nobody is overwhelmed by unforeseeable events.

The problems are homemade.

You speak in favor of a poorly prepared, thoughtless or at least daring approach.

This applies to Angela Merkel's federal government, which weeks after the broken Easter peace has to whip such a decisive law through parliament;

if necessary against resistance.

And it probably also applies to Markus Söder's fight for Chancellor.

Söder and Laschet: A frenzied standstill on the chancellor question and a call for an uprising - a risky game

Since Sunday, events in the Union have been in a kind of frenzied standstill: First, Söder wants to become Chancellor - if the CDU wants to.

He reveals a long known "secret".

Hours later, the CDU leadership - unsurprisingly - does not want Söder, but their boss Armin Laschet.

And finally, this vote is not enough for Söder.

He asks for more days to think about it.

It seems confused on Monday evening when it comes to the question of what Söder actually wants.

According to his own statements, he is concerned with the mood in the population and among the party base.

But the surveys have been known for a long time and Söder also rejects a member survey - because time is too short.

There is only one interpretation left: Söder wants the CDU MPs and state associations to position themselves as publicly as possible against Armin Laschet.

A very risky game for the Union.

It also comes in a phase in which Germany has bigger problems than the "quick" agreement between the CDU and CSU on a personnel issue.

A week-long standstill on the corona issue needs to be resolved.

And actually debated extensively and with all due thoroughness.

While Söder and Laschet are struggling for power, Merkel and the Union are pounding the hoped-for broad corona consensus with the Bundestag parties.

Now the sledgehammer of an "objection law" is supposed to help.

Söder and Merkel are simultaneously escalating months-old problems - in the end the Greens could smile

Difficult to grasp: The prime ministers could have agreed on a stringent Corona procedure months ago.

Chancellor Angela Merkel could have intervened weeks ago and pushed the elected representatives in the Bundestag into a more important role - maybe even in mid-2020. And the Union also had months to clarify its K question in complete transparency and calm.

Also with a member survey.

On Sunday evening it seemed that Markus Söder wanted to explain his ambitions for power in an elegant plan without leaning too far out of the window.

Little looks elegant now in the Union - a short and violent rustle of wear threatens.

It is possible that Söder's course actually leads him into the role of candidate for chancellor.

But it is also possible that the CDU and CSU will suffer damage.

It seems like there's no tomorrow.

And above all, as if there was no tomorrow yesterday.

And not at all unlikely that next Monday the Greens Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck will announce an amicable decision to be a candidate for Chancellor with a friendly smile.

Without first publicly spreading each other's weaknesses and dividing their party into two camps.

It remains to be seen whether, after 16 years, Angela Merkel would prefer Germany to make a silent decision rather than a candidate for chancellor who prevails with a public trial of strength.

In any case, the Greens should look damn well prepared.

And that seldom happens these days.

Even if it is actually a matter of course.

Florian Naumann

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-04-13

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