TV duel for the NRW election: SPD-Kutschaty suddenly praises Söder in a dispute with CDU-Wüst: "Bavaria does it"

Created: 05/13/2022 05:59

By: Patrick Mayer, Andreas Schmid

Thomas Kutschaty (SPD) and Hendrik Wüst (CDU) in the WDR television duel before the NRW elections.

© Screenshot WDR

NRW head of state Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and his SPD challenger Thomas Kutschaty competed against each other in the WDR "election arena".

The TV duel for the state elections in the news ticker.

• State election 2022 in North Rhine

  -Westphalia: State leader Hendrik Wüst (CDU) competes against SPD man Thomas Kutschaty.

• WDR election arena

  : Tonight (8:15 p.m.) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Russia-Ukraine war will also be on the agenda.

• Several topics were discussed.

  Specifically: internal security, education, care, housing and business.

• This news ticker for the

  TV duel in the 2022 NRW state elections will

  be updated regularly.

Update from May 12, 9:32 p.m

.: The TV duel ends with the core messages of the two top candidates.

Hendrik Wüst says: “Climate protection and jobs have to go together.

That's what it's about."

Thomas Kutschaty says: "Children and young people are at the center of all future political decisions."

The last showdown before the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia is over, although the TV duel does not actually deserve the name.

The dialogue, which was mostly very factual, was not really exciting.

Both top candidates seemed focused on avoiding mistakes.

On May 15, whoever was better able to bring their topics to the attention of the general public in the calm and generally pleasant climate of discussion will be decided.

Then a new state parliament will be elected in NRW.

Polls for the NRW election see the incumbent CDU Prime Minister Wüst just ahead.

Update from May 12, 9:25 p.m

.: The next debate is about the economic viability of North Rhine-Westphalia.

SPD and CDU want to promote the steel industry.

Kuchaty speaks of a lack of funds for companies and says: "The country must also get involved".

Wüst replies: "It is no longer the time: Government support is not possible."

Kuchaty explains that he is only in favor of more state participation if companies "can make more profits in the future".

TV duel for the NRW election: SPD-Kutschaty praises Söder: "Bayern does it by the way"

Update from May 12, 9:15 p.m

.: Now it’s about the living area.

Here the SPD and CDU are sometimes a little further apart, for example when it comes to financing social housing.

Kuchaty wants to create affordable housing with state funds.

Publicly subsidized housing is possible.

"You can make it work.

By the way, Bavaria does that,” says Kuchaty.

A state-owned housing association is to be founded in the Free State.

"They recognized the need for publicly funded living space," says the SPD politician, indirectly praising the Bavarian state government around CSU Prime Minister Markus Söder.

Wüst speaks primarily of supporting homes.

The CDU calls for the lowering of the real estate transfer tax and thus lower costs when buying an apartment or house.

Update from May 12, 9 p.m

.: Small half-time conclusion after 45 minutes: The TV duel is not really moving.

SPD and CDU are close to each other in many areas.

If there are programmatic differences, the two top candidates Kuchaty and Wüst present their points carefully.

They rarely interrupt each other.

Hendrik Wüst (CDU, r) and Thomas Kutschaty next to the WDR editors-in-chief Ellen Ehni (2nd from r) and Gabi Ludwig.

©Oliver Berg/dpa

NRW election: Wüst wants "welcome money" for care

Update from May 12, 8:55 p.m .:

The next topic is health policy.

Wüst and Kuchaty are close together on many issues.

Kuschaty demands that all hospitals in NRW be maintained.

His SPD stipulates that it should take a maximum of 30 minutes for the population of North Rhine-Westphalia to reach a hospital.

Wüst promises 20 minutes.

The CDU and SPD also agree on care.

Changes are needed here, for example in wages.

Wüst also speaks of a "welcome money" for international nurses.

Update from May 12, 8:45 p.m

.: It continues with education policy.

Kuchaty wants to reform the day care system because of "injustice".

"You could do something to relieve families." Means: daycare centers will be free of contributions in the future.

Wüst's CDU also has such plans.

However, only children over the age of three should be exempt from contributions.

NRW election: TV duel: unpunished fare evasion?

First disagreement between Wüst and Kuchaty

Update from May 12, 8:35 p.m

.: In a lightning round, the two top candidates have to give up their position on certain areas of internal security.

Kutschaty and Wüst agree on a no to the identification requirement for police officers who want to equip them better.

The SPD rejects stronger video surveillance.

Kuchaty also no longer wants to see fare evasion as a crime, but as an administrative offence.

Wust is against it.

Update from May 12, 8:25 p.m .:

Wüst announces more police presence.

"You need more police overall."

Kuchaty also wants to train more police officers in the future.

Both politicians also declare that they are paying more attention to clan crime.

Update from May 12, 8:20 p.m

.: Let’s start with the topic of internal security.

The two top candidates talk about the foiled attack in Essen.

Wüst is "shocked by the obvious level of violence." Kuchaty, who was born in Essen, also speaks of personal dismay.

"Our eldest son graduated from one of the two schools a few years ago."

Both politicians affirm that they want to focus even more on right-wing extremism in the future.

Weapons and right-wing extremist writings were found on a 16-year-old in Essen.

The attack was prevented because a classmate went to the police.

Update from May 12, 8:15 p.m

.: The WDR election arena before the NRW election begins.

It is sent from Solingen.

Thomas Kutschaty (SPD) and Hendrik Wüst (CDU) in the WDR television duel before the NRW elections.

© Screenshot WDR

Update from May 12, 8 p.m .:

The WDR election arena for the state election will start in 15 minutes.

Election polls indicate a close race between the CDU and SPD.

A survey published on Tuesday saw Wüst's party at 31 percent, the Social Democrats at 29 percent.

In other polls, the CDU was two to four points ahead.

NRW election: With Scholz, Günther and Habeck - parties are campaigning for the last votes

Update from May 12, 6:15 p.m

.: Before the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the parties are planning the last days of the election campaign.

There are several appointments on Friday: Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the SPD Prime Ministers Malu Dreyer (Rhineland-Palatinate) and Anke Rehlinger, winner of the election in Saarland, will be present at the SPD.

The Greens are planning three rallies with Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck on Friday.

The CDU relies on campaign help from Schleswig-Holstein winner Daniel Günther.

Before that, it's hot in the WDR election arena.

From 8.15 p.m. Hendrik Wüst and Thomas Kutschaty will face each other.

TV duel for the NRW election: Wüst promotes a black-green coalition

Update from May 12, 4:25 p.m .:

Before the TV duel for the 2022 NRW state election, head of state Hendrik Wüst (CDU) is campaigning for the Greens as a possible coalition partner.

The 46-year-old Munsterlander praised the party for its far-sighted Russia policy before the Ukraine war.

"I don't break my crown if I acknowledge during the election campaign that others have been clearer for a long time," said Wüst in an interview with Die

: "The Greens, for example, have followed a more consistent line towards Putin's Russia and have always been skeptical and critical clearly expressed.” Will the incumbent prime minister instead let his challenger Thomas Kuschaty appear in the WDR election arena tonight because of the alleged proximity of the SPD to Moscow?

You can be curious!

TV duel for the NRW election: WDR election arena with Hendrik Wüst (CDU) and Thomas Kutschaty (SPD)

Update from May 12, 2:35 p.m .:

Four days before the 2022 state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the CDU has increased its lead over the SPD, according to a survey.

Specifically: In an INSA survey published on Thursday for the 

 , the CDU of the incumbent Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst came to 32 percent.

According to a previous survey by the same opinion research institute, the CDU only passed the Social Democrats at the beginning of the week.

According to the current survey, the SPD of challenger Thomas Kutschaty makes it to 28 percent, which would mean a minus of 3.2 percentage points compared to the 2017 state election.

According to INSA, the Greens are currently at 16 percent, the FDP at eight percent, the AfD would come to seven percent.

With three percent, the left would miss entering the state parliament, which is based in Düsseldorf.

INSA survey on the 2022 NRW state elections (May 15): CDU is likely to continue to outperform SPD

TV duel for the 2022 state elections: Ukraine war in talks with Wüst (CDU) and Kuchaty (SPD) a topic

First report from May 12th:

Munich/Solingen – Hendrik Wüst (CDU) switched to political combat mode shortly before the 2022 state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

The TV duel this Thursday evening against SPD challenger Thomas Kutschaty from 8:15 p.m. in the WDR “election arena” will probably also be about the allegations against the Social Democrats that they are standing with Moscow ruler Vladimir Putin in the environment of the Russia-Ukraine War supposedly too close.

"The fact that the SPD has a Russia problem, especially with Ms. Schwesig and Mr. Schröder, is not an invention of the CDU," Wüst said recently in an interview with

: "Practically the entire West is subject to misjudgments in relation to Russia and evaluates Putin today different than before.

What matters is whether being too close today prevents government policy from making the right decisions.”

TV duel for the 2022 state election: Hendrik Wüst (CDU) competes against Thomas Kutschaty (SPD).

National political issues are in the foreground.

Of course, the Ukraine war would also play a role in the North Rhine-Westphalia state elections, the 46-year-old CDU politician said in an interview with Die

.

To classify: Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder (SPD) is considered a close friend of Russian President and warmonger Putin, and did not break these close ties even after his attack on Ukraine.

Manuel Schwesig (SPD), Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on the other hand, was until recently a supporter of the continuation of the "Nord Stream 2" gas pipeline project.

And this despite the fact that the traffic light federal government, under the guidance of the Social Democrats, is working feverishly to make Germany independent of Russian gas.

In the video: State elections 2022 in North Rhine-Westphalia - These topics concern the citizens of North Rhine-Westphalia

Federal politics is a real challenge for libertine opponent Kuchaty.

Especially since, according to a recent INSA survey, the Union of CDU and CSU has clearly pulled ahead of the SPD in the federal government.

How do these impressions affect the duel for the post of prime minister in Düsseldorf?

Follow the TV duel for the 2022 NRW state elections between CDU state leader Hendrik Wüst and SPD man Thomas Kutschaty tonight from 8:15 p.m. here in the live ticker.

24rhein.de also reports on the WDR election arena.