German Federal Election 2021 - Who will succeed Angela Merkel?

[Zanza]

Just watching the TV debate between Baerbock, Laschet and Scholz. Scholz is like Teflon, Laschet tumbles around, Baerbock is a bit boring.

EDIT: Baerbock is destroying Laschet. Scholz is just doing a Merkel...

[Zanza]

Trend at INSA is clearly towards the SPD now. Let's see if this keeps up as the recent trend change was also fairly recent and sudden.

Right now, there is no obvious way to power for the SPD though as Left Party seems not compatible on foreign policy and Liberals say they don't want a traffic light.

[Syt]

Meanwhile, in the chancellery.

[The Brain]

"-The following remain in the room. Riesling, Walker, Smirnoff, and Häagen-Dazs."

[Syt]

 

I feel she's looking forward to the election.

(I also feel that if she were to run again, she's win quite handily.)

[Zanza]

Picture is from 2018 though.

[Syt]

Probably still applies.

[Valmy]

I am reminded of what Thomas Jefferson wrote on the eve of James Madison being sworn into office:

"Never did a prisoner, released from his chains, feel such relief as I shall on shaking off the shackles of power."

Though I am not sure exactly when Merkel's release day is.

[Sheilbh]

There was also Theresa May at a cricket match the day after she was replaced as PM and just became a backbencher:

[Zanza]

No one is sure. She will stay in office until parliament elects her successor. Could be days, weeks or months. Let's see if a coalition can be formed after the election.

[Syt]

"If the chancellor was elected directly, who would you vote for?" Change from 19th August => 31st August (after the first TV debate between Baerbock, Scholz, Laschet)
(The rightmost option is "none of these.")

[Syt]

More generally, I am fascinated by the Green and *checks notes* FDP radicalisation of younger voters

Just a reminder that about 57% of people eligible to vote will be over 50 years old, and about 70% over 40. Young people are a small part of the spectrum and have (so far) had a lower voting rate than older voters.

[Syt]

So, I did the Wahl-O-Mat, in which you answer a series of yes/no policy questions, and can add additional weight to some of them.

Anyways, this is my result. 

[Josquius]

I decided to have a look for shits and giggles. Are these actually political issues in Germany? Some seem really nitpicky like the gender stuff.

[Syt]

I decided to have a look for shits and giggles. Are these actually political issues in Germany? Some seem really nitpicky like the gender stuff.

It keeps coming up. Bürgermeister (mayor) is male, Bürgermeisterin is female, and the plural is Bürgermeister (i.e. only male mayors, or male and female mayors), whereas Bürgermeisterinnen means female mayors only. There's various ways to get around it, e.g. list both (Bürgermeister oder Bürgermeisterin, as e.g. law texts in my home state often do) or BürgermeisterIn, or Bürgermeister*in etc. The state of Saxony has now banned cases like the last two from schools. Culture wars don't generally run deep in Germany (yet), but attempts at finding a more gender neutral language are hotly contested.

I don't mind these attempts, but I also think there's bigger fish to fry.