That is the $1000 question all the democratic parties are struggling to answer, but IMHO none of them really has a working answer or strategy.
So it looks like they still haven’t formed a government in Saxony-Anhalt? And there is bad blood forming between the BSW and AfD who were previously open to a coalition? Also quoting from wikipedia it appears that the BSW are taking a page from Walz with regard to the far right:
She’s not wrong with that assessment, albeit while living in a glasshouse.
And meanwhile CDU also took a thumping from the Left, whooped by Die Linke in the state that contains Germany?
Merz resolves to keep a stiff upper lip and carry on but meanwhile, is this less the rise of the Right than a hollowing out of any middle?
This has beeen growing and the MAGA win gave them wind in there sails! Hated and tribalism like history repeats its self!
That should have been “Berlin”. Need my coffee.
I burst out laughing when I read her quote.
It’s not a state that contains Berlin, but the city and the state of Berlin are the same, a city state like Hamburg and Bremen. That means that the leader of the ruling faction isn’t minister president like in the area states, but “regierende(r) Bürgermeister(in)”, ruling mayor.
Berlin is a city state in itself. We are surrounded by the state of Brandenburg, but not part of it (both sides declined a fusion a couple of years ago, a tipical correct decision for the wrong reasons). This month we had regional elections in Sachsen-Anhalt on the 6th and in Berlin and in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on the 20th. And we don’t need coffee, we need a stiff drink.
I whish I knew. Probably nobody knows. But it will be a mess, as nobody wants to work with the nazis (and rightly so), which leaves few to no viable coalitions. As those coalitions are inherently unstable and can agree on little, little will be done. No reforms, no breakthroughs. Disillusioned people will feel vindicated. They will vote for the wrong parties again. And the ones who voted for the “acceptable” parties will feel disheartened and maybe give up die ganze Scheisse. And so it will get worse before it gets any better, if it ever gets better.
Thanks for helping me out on the Berlin election.
Merz seems to be selling the hope that his reforms can both get implemented and make a difference that pulls voters back to the center. From the outsider POV that seems improbable? And your perspective is not exactly hopeful that the stiff upper lip carry on approach will go well either. Are those who argue to break the firewall gaining traction? Is there any means to force Merz out? But if so what and who would be the alternative?
Obviously my ignorance is large here but still curious and interested.
Not yet. And it won’t be easy to break the firewall, as the AfD is so beyond the pale that from the European far right extremist parties only the Spanish Vox has congratulated them for their victories and thinks they are great. Italy’s Meloni party (currently in goverment), Nigel Farrage (go figure) and Marine LePen (who hopes to win the presidency soon) are all keeping a healthy distance, as the AfD is too nazi (and too German → memories!) to win votes. The Spanish fascists, of course, never had any problem with the German nazis back then, and were never at war againts Germany. They still like Franco, José Antonio, Mussolini and Hitler, no problem. And Putin, seen in the right light, in the proper perspective, if you squint just enough, is actually right about most things, is he not? And there is a lot of money there too! What’s not to like?
Other people who like the AfD: President Ineptstein, JD Vance, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Vladimir Putin.
Don’t know about Hungary’s Orbán or Greece’s Golden Dawn.
Only a parlamentary motion to replace him with another candidate would do. German law imposes a constructive motion of no confidence, that is: you cannot vote the Chancellor out without nominating a replacement. The aim is to avoid a power vacuum. Changing Merz for another politician would mean that another politican from his party would substitute him, if the CDU’s coalition partner (the Socialdemocrats, SPD) accept it. No other possibility would have a chance to gain a majority in the current parliament, and snap elections are not forseen in Germany (to avoid instability → Weimar; which may end causing instability, but how can you avoid instability when everything seems to be going to the dogs), although they have been held using procedural tricks in the past (Helmut Kohl 1982 and Gerhad Schröder 2005 did it, the first won, the second lost the election he “cheated” into being held prematurely).
A CDU politician that is popular? Hard call. Perhaps Gerhard Pistorius, currently Federal Defense Minister. Or some Bavarian, they are keeping suspiciously quiet. But would they be competent?
The CSU has never held the leadership position, but could this be the moment? Sacrament!
But please, PLEASE not Markus Söder. He’s a populist, loud-mouthed attention-seeker with no political talent whatsoever.
You say that as if that’s not a very successful political talent. If your goal is solely to be elected then steal and wreck things, it certainly seems to be a very effective political talent.
Which malign talent seems now to be in season all over the damned world. And damned we all are indeed if this movement everywhere can’t be promptly and decisively reversed.
The AfD tosses the Holocaust down the memory hole, with a little help from their friends.