German Federal Election 2021 - Who will succeed Angela Merkel?

[The Larch]

Laschet is a terrible campaigner though and I doubt the Conservatives could get more sleazy than in the last term (masks, Azerbaijan  Amthor).

Could you explain that a bit further, for those of us not too well versed in German political scandals?

[Zanza]

They had 20 or 30 MPs who did shady mask deals with the Conservative-led health ministry early when masks were unavailable. Basically they enriched themselves. Probably not criminal, but several left parliament/party over this.
Azerbaijan bribed some MEPs and MPs to act in its interests. You know the country ruled by a tinpot dictator that just fought a war and them did ethic cleansing in Karabakh.

A German list, but you will notice the party membership.

PS: The SPD guy on the list only did this after having left politics.


Amthor is the oldest 20-something in the world and a poster child for the phrase "punchable face". He was paid by a shady company to lobby the economy minister but denied this until he could noonger deny it. Recently he lobbied on behalf of Tiktok of all things, which is just weird. 

What we call a Backpfeifengesicht in German:

[Syt]

Amthor always reminds me of Simon from The Chipmunks.

[Syt]

What annoys me the most is that these CDU affairs disappear quickly from the media with minimal consequences, but for Baerbock there were drawn out debates whether she got her Master's degree correctly (she did), or whether she wants to cut pensions (she doesn't). She also had plagiarism accusations with regards to passages in a book leveled at her (somewhat justified) that caught a lot more media attention than Laschet's similar case brought up not much later (his book was written by ghostwriters).

There was e.g. no mention that in 2015 Laschet basically made up the results of an exam in a university course he was holding. The tests had "disappeared in the mail" and he was "reconstructing the grades" from his notes. Eventually, all grades of the course were cancelled, and he never held courses at that university again while the university changed their process to always make copies of tests. At the time it didn't draw much attention outside his home state, and it was shortly before the refugee crisis became the leading news story. It was only brought up by some people who were joking that his slogan "2015 must not repeat" referred to his grades affair.

Also, a court recently decided that the clearing of a protest camp at the site of a planned open pit coal mine in 2018 ago was illegal. One of the key points was that the camp was cleared claiming "fire hazard" and there was later documentation of Laschet saying that he "needs a pretense" to clear the camp. This, also, was but a blip.

Not that Laschet didn't enough during the campaign itself to show that he was not a good candidate.

I guess it's part "it's not so bad when MY party does it" and part "we expect the CDU to be corrupt, but we expect better from the others".

[The Larch]

Danke Zanza. 

That guy is in his 20s? Really? 

[Zanza]

Laschet is incapable of folding paper right. You are supposed to fold your ballot so that your vote is not visible.

[Malicious Intent]

Ugh, this was the worst election I could ever vote in. Reminded me of the tagline from Aliens vs Predator: "Whoever wins, we lose."

[Malicious Intent]

Danke Zanza. 

That guy is in his 20s? Really? 

He was seen as a rising star within the CDU. He has suffered a temporary setback, but it is as Syt said: CDU affairs tend to be quickly forgotten. I have little doubt, that Amthor will continue to ooze his way to the top. 

[Syt]

Hey, MI.

As the saying goes, CDU members are born 40 years old.

Also, Merz made it back, and von Guttenberg almost did 

[Sheilbh]

Incidentally I am obsessed with that Merz advert that starts with an ad he did in, I think, 1994. Just a huge fan of the soundtrack and vibe of German mid-90s politics it turns out....

[Zanza]

Too close to tell at this moment. Conservatives and Social Democrats are head-to-head and both need Greens and Liberals to govern.

[Zanza]

Looks like the Danish minority party won a seat. 

[Sheilbh]

Exciting - really don't want the FDP near government but seems inevitable.

Plus it seems like there's probably a bit of a split between CDU and CSU on whether or not to try and form a government if they don't win, which makes sense I suppose.

[Syt]

Laschet says he's not happy but aims at forming a government. It's the worst result for the CDU ever.

[Habbaku]

Looks like the Danish minority party won a seat. 

Aren't they guaranteed a certain bit of representation?