Triell slap in the face: It could be too late for Laschet - the mood is a beacon

Armin Laschet improves in the Triell - but still does not arrive in the survey.

The Union made its mistakes much earlier, commented Merkur.de politician Florian Naumann.

Munich - The second TV triall is over - it was a struggle at eye level.

But also at a comparatively low level.

Survey darling Olaf Scholz had to (quite rightly) suffer from weak to questionable performances in terms of Wirecard and Cum-Ex, Armin Laschet went through the Triell on the subject of the cost of the climate fight.

And Annalena Baerbock?

The Green is probably no longer taken seriously by the majority of voters as a candidate for the Chancellery;

This is not least supported by the latest findings from the demoscopes.

Bundestag election: Laschet improves - that he still loses the triall is a devastating sign for the Union

How is the new episode in the struggle for Merkel's successor to be assessed? It's all about nuances again. And presumably ultimately about sympathy and very personal preferences of the observer. For Armin Laschet, the quick polls after the show could be a massive warning signal again. Or even a beacon.

Because actually there are a few arguments in favor of attesting the Union man an improvement compared to the first triell. Again Laschet tried to attack against his temperament. This time, however, he seemed less “pelvic” and a little more confident. The fact that the CDU boss easily got bogged down in his attack on the Scholz 'ministry-subordinate customs special unit and the responsibility of the head of department - a gift. The topic is complex and, according to all the laws of business, it should above all get stuck: Scholz is vulnerable.

Nevertheless, the SPD candidate is apparently again the winner of the round.

That could be a sign that the voters have long written off Laschet.

After months of the “sleeper car” election campaign, the eternal teasing of the CSU and capital failures from laughing in the flood zone to blackouting one's own election program, that would be no wonder.

Triell Laschet versus Scholz: CDU candidate changes course - but there is a much bigger problem

The small shifts in the tactics of the candidates were also extremely exciting: This time Laschet stood in the limelight as an anti-nagging candidate for Chancellor and at the same time even picked up parts of Scholz's most recent final statement. "It's about you," he called out to the voters. Scholz was forced to change course. He wanted to continue to walk in Angela Merkel's footsteps - "Everyone knows me," he said, for example - but had to go into the infight in the face of massive allegations. Apparently he has solved this problem well enough in the eyes of the audience.

The bottom line is that the situation after the triell points to a deeper problem: Two rather weak main candidates hold their own and could decide the choice through simple self-portrayal tricks.

A choice based on content criteria would be better.

But that's exactly where the Union and the SPD have little to offer.

The CDU and CSU are making choices with a thin program to reduce bureaucracy, many good wishes and a financial plan that is difficult to explain mathematically.

Triell: Laschets Union forgot work in the Merkel frenzy - the SPD may fall into the lap of the election

Anyone looking for good substantive arguments for choosing the conservatives is quickly lost. And, in the eyes of many voters, can apparently just as easily resort to the SPD, which has presented a similarly pale program. It is no coincidence that Markus Söder and Armin Laschet now mainly play the red sock card - and thus simply roll off the ultra-central Merkel vice-president Scholz. The SPD could almost fall into the lap of the election. The Union has forgotten the substantive work in the wrong trust in the Merkel polls.

And the greens?

They may have simply bet on the wrong candidate.

Annalena Baerbock also appeared energetic and confident in terms of content on Sunday - but is probably not addressing an aging electorate, unsettled after Corona, with the new beginning course.

Another indication was their unexpected turn to praise bans as “drivers of innovation” for the automotive industry, for example.

In any case, Laschets Union has to hope for a small miracle.

Or on the sudden decision of the undecided to risk even less than the change to the GroKo junior partner.

It is now enough for the SPD to stay on course.

Florian Naumann