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The agony of choice: Annalena Baerbock, Olaf Scholz or would you prefer Armin Laschet?
Photo: Sean Gallup / Getty Images
Baerbock criticizes Russia for rising gas prices
02.51 a.m.:
In the debate about the sharp rise in gas prices, Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock criticized Russia and called on the German government to intervene in Moscow.
"Russia is very reluctant to deliver natural gas to Europe," Baerbock told the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND).
An "obvious" reason for this is: "The Putin regime wants to build up political pressure to get the outstanding permits for Nord Stream 2 faster."
"Those who suffer are the customers in Germany, whose gas prices will rise or who in extreme cases will even have to sit in the cold," said Baerbock to the RND.
"This Putin game shows once again what a disservice the SPD and Union have done with their commitment to Nord Stream 2 Germany," criticized the Greens leader.
"The federal government has pushed the pipeline forward, despite all concerns, warnings and fears." That would now take revenge, because Germany is "in the blackmail situation that was extensively warned."
Baerbock demanded a signal from the federal government to Moscow: "The signal must be that Russia must stand by its commitments and, as in the past, supply enough gas via the existing pipelines." Anything else would be "fatal".
At the same time, she called for specifications for the minimum level of storage "or a national gas reserve analogous to the oil reserve, so that nobody sits in the cold in winter," added Baerbock.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) asked Russia on Tuesday to deliver more natural gas to Europe in order to cushion the current shortage and the associated price increase.
The wholesale price for natural gas has more than tripled since the beginning of the year.
Disability officer wants full accessibility for polling stations
12:14 p.m.:
The Federal Government's Commissioner for the Disabled, Jürgen Dusel, called for comprehensive accessibility in the polling stations before the federal election. "Although many polling stations are accessible to wheelchair users, for example, they are far from being barrier-free for all people with disabilities," said Dusel to the editorial network in Germany (RND / Thursday). "All visually impaired people must have voting templates and all deaf people should receive support from sign language interpreters."
Politicians shouldn't push people with disabilities down to postal voting. «Anyone who wants to go to the polling station should be supported by the state. Assistance for every person with disabilities should be ensured, ”he said. The federal government, states and parties would also have to make the information about the election - i.e. via ballot papers, party advertising, polling stations - accessible.
According to Dusel, the 2021 federal election is fairer than the last.
“More than 85,000 people under care, who were excluded from the right to vote in the last general election, are now allowed to vote.
These include, for example, 60-year-olds who will be able to vote for the first time in 2021, ”he said.
“At the same time, we are far from an equal choice for all people with disabilities.
In Germany, 13 million people live with disabilities, they still have difficulties casting their votes. "
Linder finds Laschet the better chancellor
00.15 a.m.:
FDP leader Christian Lindner has named Union chancellor candidate Armin Laschet as the better chancellor.
He says that on ZDF when asked whether Laschet or the SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz is the better head of government.
He knows the CDU leader from the black-yellow coalition in North Rhine-Westphalia, where they work together "in partnership".
"Much of what the federal government needs is implemented there," he adds.
The FDP is being courted as a possible coalition partner after the election by both the SPD and the Union.
Esken wants to move away from black zero
00:05:
SPD leader Saskia Esken speaks out in view of the investment backlog in many areas of Germany for a move away from the goal of a balanced budget and for new federal debt. “The black zero is not a law either, but a political goal. That must not be confused, "said the co-chair of the party of the" world ".
According to the SPD's plans, the federal government should provide 50 billion euros per year for investments over the next ten years. »It goes without saying that you can take out loans for investments in education, climate protection, health, digitization and socio-economic change. And it's urgently needed, too, ”Esken said. That must have priority over the black zero, i.e. a balanced federal budget in which the expenditure does not exceed the income.
"The debt brake allows - purely constitutionally - borrowing for investments if these cannot be covered from current income," the party leader underlined.
"The famous Swabian housewife would be ashamed if her house fell into disrepair just because she couldn't afford the necessary investments from her current income." Solid housekeeping is an important goal.
“But it is certainly not zero debt in view of the challenges ahead.
And how the CDU and FDP want to cope with this, in view of tax gifts that amount to 90 billion euros per year, is a mystery to me.
That's voodoo. "
muk / dpa / AFP