Angela Merkel has been Chancellor since 2005.
Her potential successor Annalena Baerbock from the Greens speaks about a fundamental reform - and explains why.
Berlin - If the federal elections are completed in autumn *, that does not mean the end of the Angela Merkel era *. Should the formation of a government take a long time, the Chancellor has a good chance of surpassing the existing record of Helmut Kohl as the longest-serving head of government in the Federal Republic: Kohl held the most important office in Germany from 1982 to 1998 - the longest term of office of a Federal Chancellor to date. If Merkel remains in the Chancellery until December 17, 2021, she will take over the “top position”.
At the end of the Kohl period, there was talk of a backlog of reforms - and even today there is increasing criticism of a policy of waiting and waiting.
There is still no time limit for the office of Federal Chancellor *.
Most recently, it was noteworthy that voices within the CDU advocated a limitation of the terms of office of heads of government.
But now the calls are getting louder.
Annalena Baerbock: era like under Merkel?
Chancellor candidate is against it
Annalena Baerbock * has pretty good prospects for Merkel's successor - at least according to current surveys.
The 40-year-old was chosen by the Greens as candidate for chancellor, while her party is believed to be the most popular party in the country in terms of electoral support.
In an interview, the Hanover-born woman also suggests new rules for the Chancellery.
“We should also look at the limitation of the term of office of a Chancellor,” appeals Baerbock in the
Spiegel
- and explains why: “We are just seeing how much movement there is when all parties are for the first time in the history of the Federal Republic are required to dare to do something new, because no incumbent chancellor will run again. "
Chancellor question: Baerbock suggests changes - "Breaking up encrusted structures"
Conversely, Baerbock suggests that the legislative period (currently four years) be extended.
The Green Chancellor candidate suspects that these changes “together would bring new momentum”.
It is about "breaking up encrusted structures" in the political system.
According to Baerbock, further points of parliamentary reform could be a downsizing of parliament, which has long been called for but heavily controversial, and the lowering of the minimum age for elections to 16 years.
Most recently, the CDU chairman in Lower Saxony, Bernd Althusmann, called for the term of office of CDU chancellors to be limited to two * - and for the legislature to be extended.
“As a party, we should determine to limit our chancellorship to two terms,” Althusmann said in an interview with the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
.
The electoral terms should be increased from four to five years in order to then come to a "maximum ten years" term.
Meanwhile, during a TV talk on ARD, Baerbock was compared with ex-US President Donald Trump - by entertainer Thomas Gottschalk *.
On Thursday there was also a "resounding slap in the face" for the Merkel government's climate package - and allegations to Merkel.
(PF)
* Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
