Almost two weeks before choice: Bundestag says goodbye deeply

The Bundestag said goodbye deeply two weeks before the early election with a last debate about the situation in Germany. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and his most promising challenger Friedrich Merz from the Union again fought a hard exchange of blows on migration, the course in economic policy and dealing with the AfD.

Scholz accused Merz to endanger European integration with his migration plans. “Friedrich Merz starts to wear Europe,” he said. In doing so, he also questioned the “proud inheritance” of the former CDU Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel. Once again, the Chancellor warned that after the election, the Union could enter into a coalition with the AfD, which was partly classified by the constitutional protection.

Merz rejected this as targeted fear of fear. “We are out of the question with the AfD,” he assured. He accused the Chancellor of building up a “popanz” – this means an “art figure” with which you try to scare people. For the time after the election, Merz offered the parties of the “Democratic Mitte” to work.

New Bundestag no later than 30 days after the election

The bitter exchange of blows of the two candidates for chancellor determined the last debate of the 20th Bundestag, which after the break of the traffic light coalition in November dissolved about seven months earlier than planned. At the latest 30 days after the election on February 23, it will be replaced by the 21st Bundestag, which will then be significantly smaller. The new right to vote, decided by the traffic light coalition, limits the size to 630 MPs. In the 2021 election, 736 MPs had moved into the Bundestag.

According to the current surveys, the Union has the best chance of becoming the strongest strength with values ​​between 28 and 34 percent. This is followed by the AfD with 20 to 22 percent. The SPD Chancellor party stagnates in third place at 15 to 18 percent.

Scholz: “We’ll get through”

Scholz reacts to the previously lacking turnaround with stricter attacks against Merz, including the first television duel with his challenger on Sunday. In his speech in the Bundestag, however, he initially agreed to the citizens of difficult times, but at the same time tried to spread confidence: “The wind is currently blowing over. And the truth is: that will not change fundamentally in the coming years.”

He did not want to promise the blue from the sky, he emphasized. “But what I promise to the citizens is: we get through there! We get through there if we don’t turn wrong now.” The “We come by” reminds of one of the best -known quotes from his predecessor Angela Merkel from the time when she opened the borders for refugees from Syria: “We can do it.”

The chancellor’s attacks against Merz once again referred to the scandal at the end of January, when the Union brought a five-point plan for migration by the Bundestag with the votes of the AfD. He again accused Merz “gambling”. “The citizens now know: If Friedrich Merz finds the compromise under Democrats too difficult, then he does a common cause with them,” said Scholz. That is why the Bundestag election is now about “making black and blue impossible”.

Merz: “What was that?”

Merz countered the speech with the words: “What was that? 25 minutes of the Opposition leader. Congratulations, Mr. Chancellor.” The SPD candidate for chancellor is probably confusing the Bundestag meeting with a Juso federal congress.

The CDU boss again promised that the Union would not coalition with the AfD. He used his speech for a general statement with three years of government work, especially of the SPD and the Greens – he spared the FDP. Scholz and his vice -chancellor Robert Habeck (Greens) would like to have two employees who had driven a company in front of the wall and then suggested to the owners: “We would like to go on for another four years. before.”

In his speech, the Union Chancellor candidate also looked at the time after February 23 and called on the parties of the Democratic Middle to then show themselves. You will fight hard until the election, he said. But then “we in the broad political center” should solve the problems of the country so “that populism in our country, be it from the left or it is not even stronger from the right,” emphasized Merz. “This is a responsibility, you cannot avoid it and we won’t escape it either.”

Weidel accuses Merz “voter deception”, Lindner shakes

AfD boss Alice Weidel predicted Merz not being able to enforce his government program with SPD and the Greens and therefore accused him of “voting deception”. Only with the AfD will a “turnaround in migration, the economic, energy and tax transition and change in social policy”.

FDP boss Christian Lindner was shaken by the appearance of Scholz and Merz in the election campaign. “It is a frightening view that they both could rule the country alone,” he said.

Habeck: Climate protection must not fall by the wayside

Green Chancellor candidate Robert Habeck dedicated his speech above all to climate protection – a topic that has so far hardly been perceived in the election campaign. It shouldn’t fall by the wayside, he warned. “We cannot have a country that is ruled by people who are concerned about touching problems.” The world will cope with it when the USA sometimes got out of global climate protection. But if this does Germany, Europe will not be able to meet its goals. “If Europe falls over, it is over with global climate protection.”

Kühnert and BAS with appeals

Many MPs are already clear that they will not belong to the new parliament. This includes Kevin Kühnert, who had resigned as a SPD general secretary in October for health reasons. He said goodbye with a passionate appeal to defend democracy: “We protect what we love. Let’s protect our democracy.”

At the end of the debate characterized by mutual attacks, there was a warning closing word from Bundestag president Bärbel Bas. The SPD politician said that she is worried. “In the previous election campaign, disposal, threats and attacks on election workers were almost everyday, just like attacks on politicians. This is a great danger to our social coexistence and our democracy.”