Now the CSU is also starting the hot phase of the federal election campaign: On Tuesday evening, the CSU stadium tour in the Hans Bayer Stadium in Unterschleißheim with Prime Minister Markus Söder started.
One man only played a minor role that evening: Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet.
Unterschleißheim
- words are powerful.
And because many politicians are good at rhetoric, they do not or only rarely speak the names of their political opponents in public.
Prime Minister Markus Söder does the same. The CSU leader mentions the name Armin Laschet five times at the start of the Christian Socialist election campaign in Unterschleißheim.
Only, Laschet is actually not an opponent, but a joint candidate for chancellor of the sister party CDU.
The carefully selected spectators of the election event hardly notice it.
Söder calls Laschet a "pragmatic prime minister"
The name Laschet is mentioned for the first time in over an hour.
Söder calls the candidate for chancellor a “pragmatic prime minister”.
There is no more recognition for the CDU chairman that evening.
Everyone in Bavaria knows the motto, in Unterschleißheim it applies on Tuesday evening: Not scolded, praise is enough.
But there are no taunts against Laschet in Unterschleißheim.
Fear scenario: left alliance with "communists"
Söder speaks much more often - and this is curious about his speech - about the old and yet new main opponent of the Union: Olaf Scholz.
According to current surveys, the SPD is ahead of the Union.
Söder sees the Union as a "historic task" in the election campaign.
Germany is facing a fork in the road: a bourgeois government with a union and liberals, as an "emergency solution" also in a coalition with the Greens.
Or a left alliance with “communists”.
Voters' nightmare in the stadium.
No county issues
The CSU fans present, who are hoping for tailored campaign topics for their region, were disappointed that evening.
A lot of Afghanistan, a lot of tax policy, a lot of glossy single-player - but almost no district issues.
Despite the introductory speech by Florian Hahn, the CSU direct candidate from the Munich district.
"The district of Munich is on a small scale what Bavaria is on a large scale," says Hahn.
He alludes to the research and industrial locations.
There is no lack of pathos in Hahn's speech either: "We are the gold standard among the German parties."
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Direct candidate Florian Hahn wants to go back to the Bundestag.
© Gerald Förtsch
Six demonstrators in front of the stadium see it very differently.
They are accompanied by many police officers, including the cavalry.
The protesters demand on posters: “Söder has to go”.
A demonstrator from the district, who does not want to read her name in the newspaper, wants Söder to "hold accountable".
For example, for the Corona regulations that are unnecessary in their view.
Another protester calls for the state parliament to be dissolved, he warns against forced vaccinations.
Appeal with little heart and soul
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On Tuesday evening, the Christian Socials started the hot phase of the federal election campaign - for the first time in the 75-year history of the party in a stadium.
© Gerald Förtsch
The question of whether the Union will continue to provide the Federal Chancellor in Germany after 16 years of Merkel's leadership is completely open.
“It will be tight,” says rhetorician Söder.
The last ten minutes of a long game have now begun, he says in the Unterschleißheim stadium.
He would have "rather talked in the beer tent".
Due to the coronavirus, the event took place outdoors.
Prime Minister Söder finally made it clear: “Of course I support Laschet.” The Bavarian Prime Minister wanted the Union to provide the Chancellor.
“That's how it is, once and for all,” says Söder to the journalists.
At the end of his speech, the party leader became more passionate: "Armin Laschet can only become chancellor with many votes from the south." Bavaria must make its contribution. Give heart and soul for the common candidate Armin Laschet - but that looks different.