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Olaf Scholz, Claudia von Brauchitsch, Annalena Baerbock, Linda Zervakis and Armin Laschet
Photo: Sean Gallup / Getty Images
In one week, the general election will decide who has the best chance of moving into the Chancellery.
Before that, the three candidates from the Union, SPD and Greens - Armin Laschet, Olaf Scholz and Annalena Baerbock - had one last big exchange of blows on television.
The triad on ProSieben, Sat.1 and Kabeleins was the third and last meeting of the three candidates after a triad on RTL / n-tv and another triad on ARD / ZDF.
Laschet, Scholz and Baerbock discussed, among other things, the challenges of the climate crisis, corona policy and digitization.
Right from the start, all three quarreled over the question of which recipes politics in Germany can use to achieve greater social justice.
The most important points of contention from the first TV triall at a glance:
Minimum wage & social justice
In order to close the gap between rich and poor, Scholz and Baerbock demanded a minimum wage of 12 euros right from the start.
The Green candidate also advocated basic child security, financed from a tax for the wealthy - couples with an income of more than 200,000 euros.
Scholz agreed with her.
He, too, wants to levy higher taxes on very high incomes to relieve lower incomes.
Laschet, on the other hand, spoke out strictly against tax increases and a minimum wage of 12 euros.
He wanted to give the unions the freedom to negotiate wages themselves.
The professions are too different to set a uniform wage: "A general minimum wage, (...) I don't think that's appropriate."
Baerbock then attacked the CDU leader sharply, he was using arguments from the nineties.
Many employees, especially single women, are not in unions and would not benefit from collective bargaining rounds.
A woman who works alone with a child "is a poverty trap in Germany".
Climate crisis
Baerbock reiterated their call for a climate government.
An end to internal combustion engines from 2030 and an earlier phase-out of coal-fired power generation are required.
"Keeping up the two gentlemen here from the GroKo" should no longer exist, so Baerbock.
Laschet emphasized that coal should have been phased out earlier than nuclear power.
The environmental movement gambled away a chance with its fight against nuclear energy.
Renewable energies must now be expanded - in a joint European cooperation.
Scholz warned that German industry must become climate neutral in the next 25 years.
To achieve this, efficient networks would have to be expanded and renewable energies would have to be promoted significantly.
The dispute arose between the parties over the question of how much the economy should be restricted to protect the climate.
Laschet warned of bans that would prevent innovation.
Baerbock replied that the industry, on the other hand, was demanding clear rules.
CFCs, which are harmful to the ozone hole, were banned in refrigerators as early as the 1990s - without harming the industry.
On the contrary, according to Baerbock, in Germany "the best refrigerators" emerged as a result.
Corona policy
There was quite a bit of agreement on the Corona issue.
Scholz appealed to citizens to urgently get vaccinated.
The risk that adult unvaccinated people will end up in hospital is very high.
Laschet agreed and stressed that everything had to be done to ensure that face-to-face teaching was maintained in the school.
Baerbock also warned that schools and daycare centers must remain open.
For this, according to Baerbock, the adults must now be made responsible.
It cannot be that children and adolescents take quick tests as a matter of course before going to daycare or school, that there are no clear rules for adults at work.
That was a direct criticism of the GroKo.
In view of the additional burdens for nurses in the corona crisis, all candidates agreed that clapping for nurses is not enough to overcome the pandemic - and called for better wages in nursing.
Laschet promised to turn it into "a socio-political issue" in the coming years.
Internal security
On the subject of internal security, Laschet referred to the danger of Islamist and right-wing terror.
He called for a tougher course in the fight against clan crime and terrorism.
Islamist threats would have to be consistently deported.
That applies to "the few" who do not behave in Germany.
"The few who abuse the state have to be deported consistently."
Baerbock accused Laschet of confusing too many areas.
Hazards would have to be monitored around the clock if necessary, even if this costs a lot of money.
Baerbock referred above all to the rise in right-wing extremist violence in Germany.
In order to counteract this, the police would have to be strengthened, they would need more staff - as is the case with the surveillance of dangerous people.
Baerbock Laschet attacked that the Union had been the Minister of the Interior for years.
Since it is not enough, now with "should, could, should one" come up.
Scholz did not have a say on this topic.
digitalization
The topic of digitization was discussed for the first time in a triell.
There is no nationwide network coverage in Germany - the infrastructure for broadband and mobile phone networks is primarily privately operated.
Funding alone would not be enough to induce providers to expand, said Scholz - more incentives are needed.
Baerbock wants to make the providers responsible: The mobile phone network operators should "not only pick the cherry on the cake", but would also have to expand their networks in the country.
If necessary, the state should step in with the expansion.
Laschet also spoke out in favor of faster network expansion.
However, he did not want to name a date by when full network coverage could be achieved.
It is noteworthy that the subject of European and foreign policy was not discussed in any of the triallals.
mrc / ulz