The future of Germany after Merkel

[wacko]

It could also be because this election result is hard to de-cypher. The process is totally alien to the British (FPTP) or US ways of running an election: nobody can tell for sure who will be chancellor as the outcome will only be apparent after several months of negotiations, so speculations at this stage on the consequences/outcome are necessarily muted. The Greens and FDP are both in a kingmaker sort of position, but are sharply divided on key issues such as taxation.

And this is how it should be: where votes matter and compel compromise.

 

[PsB]

And this is how it should be: where votes matter and compel compromise.

I don't disagree: the extremes on each side get ironed out by the coalition process, and the governing coalition represents a majority of voters.

 

[Seeker_UK]

Slightly OT but it's interesting in my mind. There's calls for PR in the UK so that we can vote for those politicians who closely match what we want.

But compromise leads to a risk of "but that's not what I voted for!"

At least with parties who are already a coalition of sorts (as generated by the FPTP system), you know what the compromises will be before you put an 'x' in the box. The other way, you get something like the Liberal Democrat / Conservative coalition, and we know how popular that was.

 

[bor]

This is quite a big turnaround for the SPD, who were somewhat dead-in-the-water after the last elections.

Scholz looks like a safe pair of hands and indeed has sold himself as the Continuation-Merkel.

Laschet just never looked like leadership material to most people.

So, potentially an SPD/FDP coalition, which sounds counter-intuitive, but is probably what's needed now.

Whilst Germany is a wealthy country, that wealth seems to be concentrated in the upper sectors of society, with people at the bottom on pretty low pay, which needs to change.

Other key issues will be how to reduce Germany's CO2 output, how to manage relations with the EU and the other EU members, how to manage the move to e-autos.

I'm sorry to see Merkel go but I think Scholz will be more of the same, hopefully with more of a leftist lean.

 

[PaulMB]

Why not an SPD+CDU+Greens coalition?

 

[Bananahead]

Perhaps this thread shows that Brexit was justified. Talking with Italians and Swiss, there is enormous interest in the political and economic future of the most important nation in Europe. But, with some notable exceptions, most attention here has been on church taxes, motorcycling on Sundays and speed limits on German motorways. This gives the impression that among Brits, even among the educated and "thinking" Brits on PFM, Germany is of little more interest than as a place where you can drive as fast as you like. So the impression one gets is that a combination of an insular and global, as opposed to a European, way of thinking may justify Brexit.

Perhaps you misinterpret the tone of the thread.

I, flippantly, mentioned speed limits because the thread had gone sideways. But then, I do get to drive on the autobahn frequently.

When I speak to my German friends, they don't seem too concerned at the moment.

Brexit is still amusing to watch.

 

[PaulMB]

It could also be because this election result is hard to de-cypher. The process is totally alien to the British (FPTP) or US ways of running an election: nobody can tell for sure who will be chancellor as the outcome will only be apparent after several months of negotiations, so speculations at this stage on the consequences/outcome are necessarily muted. The Greens and FDP are both in a kingmaker sort of position, but are sharply divided on key issues such as taxation.

Yes, true. But another reason for the UK not to be really European. In addition to the basic fact of never having had the Euro. I just get the feeling, sometimes, that for Brits there is the UK and then there is "abroad."

 

[russel]

Yes, true. But another reason for the UK not to be really European. In addition to the basic fact of never having had the Euro. I just get the feeling, sometimes, that for Brits there is the UK and then there is "abroad."

"Fog in Channel; Continent Cut Off"

was allegedly a headline in the past.

 

[bor]

SPD + CDU/CSU would be like a LAB/CON coalition.

It could work, but there would be constant tension back and forth over policy.

SPD+Green+FDP should still in theory leave power in the hands of the SPD despite the inevitable horse trading with the smaller parties.

 

[Mr_Sukebe]

Perhaps this thread shows that Brexit was justified. Talking with Italians and Swiss, there is enormous interest in the political and economic future of the most important nation in Europe. But, with some notable exceptions, most attention here has been on church taxes, motorcycling on Sundays and speed limits on German motorways. This gives the impression that among Brits, even among the educated and "thinking" Brits on PFM, Germany is of little more interest than as a place where you can drive as fast as you like. So the impression one gets is that a combination of an insular and global, as opposed to a European, way of thinking may justify Brexit.

???
you think that an election elsewhere is some justification for the utter shit show that Brexit has given us?

seriously???

 

[PaulMB]

???
you think that an election elsewhere is some justification for the utter shit show that Brexit has given us?

seriously???

Perhaps I did not write clearly. I meant that from the comparative lack of interest, on PFM, in the German elections I got the impression that maybe the UK "mindset" is intrinsically (history, geography, etc.) less "European" than that of continental nations, and is both more insular and more global. Which of course is hardly an original idea. And that Brexit, and like it or not more than half of the voters were in favour of it, reflects this mindset. Not saying it is right or wrong, just an observation.

 

[Bob Edwards]

From the general tone of the thread so far, and from other things I've read, it seems that most think Germany will mostly continue on as before, with perhaps more attention paid to climate change and with a increased focus on wealth inequality.

As an American who thinks of Germany as a relative island of sanity in the world (noting the rise of the far right; which seems to have tapered off), I hope that is true. All the more so after our prior president, who made Chancellor Merkel look positively like George Marshall as a statesperson.

 

[PaulMB]

Yes, I agree. Merkel gave the impression of being "A Statesman," compared to the other mostly clowns in world politics. Serious, reliable, solid and balanced.
But this was her international image, I wonder if it may have been different domestically, as is sometimes the case.

 

[matt j]

Yes, true. But another reason for the UK not to be really European. In addition to the basic fact of never having had the Euro. I just get the feeling, sometimes, that for Brits there is the UK and then there is "abroad."

Well to be fair we are just a funny little island on the edge of it all, little wonder nobody is really bothered what happens in Germany.