Bundestag election: Merz, Merkel, AfD – what remains of a memorable week

Only the Bundestag vote via a CDU/CSU application for a sharper migration policy with the help of the AfD, then an unprecedented showdown in parliament – the sound until the federal election on February 23 is set. Seven teachings from a memorable week:

1. Maximum escalation and mobilization

Union Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz (CDU) has gone all over and brought the political mood in the country to a boil less than a month before the Bundestag election. The result: maximum escalation and mobilization of the political camps.

The AfD helps to reject an union application for rejections at the borders, the SPD and the Greens, with its voices to the majority. The Union argues that a right decision is not wrong because the wrong ones agree. SPD, the Greens and the Left, on the other hand, speak of a taboo and dam break.

Publicist Michel Friedman emerges in protest from the CDU, two sponsors of the Federal Cross of Merit, one of whom a Holocaust survivor, announces that it can return her awards. Tens of thousands meet for demonstrations in big cities against the Union, also in front of their party centers, demonstrators enter into a CDU office in Berlin-Wilmersdorf and into the office of the CDU district association Hanover.

2. The “gateway to hell” pictures and scenes that memorize

There are scenes and images with symbolic power of this week: triumphant AfD politicians, who posing for a selfie after the coordination in the plenary hall, AfD man Bernd Baumann, who calls from the speaker with a swelled chest into the plenary hall: “Now and here begins here We are leading a new era and that! “, The SPD parliamentary group with oppressed faces, gathered behind its faction leader Rolf Mützenich, who expresses his outrage in a press statement and appeals to Merz two days later, the” gate to hell “after To close together or the left-wing MP Heidi Reichinnek, who applied after the AfD vote success “on the barricades!” calls.

3. Merkel’s still long arm

Usually, former chancellors with comments on current topics are holding back. On this topic, ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) makes an exception, intervenes with an extraordinary step out of the political pension and thus falls into her party in the middle of the election campaign. In a written statement, she explains Merz ‘procedure for “wrong”. Praise comes from SPD and Greens politicians.

Merz, who has been trying to bring the CDU to a contrast course to its refugee policy against resistance from Merkel supporters in his own party since he took office as party leader in his own party to do the policy of recent years. “And my party is also responsible for this.” Without naming Merkel’s name, it is clear who is meant. Politics must be corrected so far that the AfD is no longer needed in Germany, says Merz.

4. Debate reveals social tornness

It is the old core question, which is now hotly discussed, which is now at the top shortly before the Bundestag election: Who and what politics has responsibility for the rise of the AfD, and how can another ascent be stopped? The supporters of the Merz memorial school are certain: the Union was under Merkel to the left, has not addressed problems with migration for too long and left a gap on the right that was filled by the AfD. Accordingly, they are for a hard line to dig up the water again to the AfD.

The opponents of this approach see it very differently. They assume that this does not weaken the AfD, but only strengthened, because by taking over sharper tones and points of view, which also represents the AfD, the party and its positions would be made hopeful, but voters would rather be decided for the original right away .

A split is evident in the population in the evaluation of the processes in the Bundestag: The fact that the Union has submitted an application to take votes from the AfD will find 47 percent in the current ZDF “political barometer” well, 48 percent reject this. However, the exceptional rejection of asylum seekers without valid entry documents is supported by a majority of respondents (63 percent).

5. Merz gambled – or not?

A matter of interpretation. The AfD was particularly quick with its judgment: Merz jumped as a tiger and ended up as a bed in front, said party leader Alice Weidel. It is clear that he did not get his so -called influx limitation law to restrict the family reunification on Friday by the Bundestag, which is a defeat. In his own ranks, Merz of 196 MPs were missing 12 votes, but that is only 3 more than on Wednesday when applying for rejections to limits that were still going through. Some of the FDP also did not move along, 10 of the 90 MPs on Wednesday, and more than twice as many on Friday at 23. The next survey values ​​after this week of the Bundestag will be a first mood barometer for whether Merz has gambled or scored with his tough course.

6. Despite everything – coalitions of the middle possible

Are coalitions between the Union with a Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the SPD or the Greens. Politicians of these two parties express doubts. This man should no longer be a chancellor, said Green politician Anton Hofreiter of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. The SPD member of the Bundestag, Leni Breymaier, even spoke in the “Tagesspiegel” of “Würgerliz when I think of a grand coalition and Mr. Merz as a chancellor today”. Nothing is excluded, because other majorities of government are not in sight, because Merz has several times assured that he will not work with the AfD.

Due to the events of the past week, other topics in the election campaign have come back completely, although they continue to employ many people: high prices or the weak economy, for example. When asked which topics are most important for their decision in the Bundestag election, peace/security, economy and social justice in the political barometer end up before the topic of refugees/asylum. One topic that determined the election campaign for weeks has completely disappeared: instead of US billionaire Elon Musk and his AfD praise anthems, everyone is now only talking about Merz.