Union’s Merz Open to Coalitions with SPD, Greens, Dismisses AfD Alliance
Following a heated debate between the chancellor candidates of the SPD, Greens, Union, and AfD, all parties are now in the final stretch before the Bundestag elections. Union candidate Friedrich Merz signaled willingness to form coalitions with the SPD and Greens as potential partners, explicitly keeping both options on the table. "With the FDP, I have great doubts," Merz added, once again ruling out any cooperation with the AfD.
Merz expressed confidence that reasonable discussions would be possible after the elections. "I believe that the Social Democrats have understood that they cannot continue like this. I believe that the Greens have understood that they cannot continue like this. And we have a plan for this country."
One week before the Bundestag elections, the CDU/CSU party with Merz as its candidate leads the polls at around 30 percent. Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his SPD are polling only between 14 and 16 percent. Merz also performed best in the debate with Scholz, Robert Habeck (Greens), and Alice Weidel (AfD), according to a Forsa survey. Of the 2,004 viewers surveyed, 32 percent rated Merz ahead of Scholz with 25 percent. Habeck and Weidel each received 18 percent.
Habeck was perceived as the most likeable: 34 percent of respondents said so, compared to 23 percent for Merz, 19 percent for Scholz, and 17 percent for Weidel. The question of who could best lead the country was again won by Merz with 42 percent. Scholz followed with 19 percent, Weidel with 16 percent, and Habeck with 13 percent.
However, the survey also made it clear that the debate would not significantly impact the election outcome. 84 percent of respondents answered "No" when asked if the debate had changed their personal voting decision. Only 10 percent said "Yes."
The debate mainly presented familiar viewpoints on topics such as migration, economy, energy, and pensions. Scholz and Habeck accused the Union and AfD of advocating a socially unjust tax policy that was not counter-financed. Habeck even spoke of "voodoo economics." Merz and Weidel, in turn, blamed Scholz and Habeck for the recession in Germany. Climate protection was virtually absent as a topic of discussion in this round.
Regarding the Ukraine war, Merz, Scholz, and Habeck showed agreement on major points: All three want to continue supporting Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, and criticized the recent interference of US Vice President J. D. Vance in the German election campaign. On both issues, AfD leader Weidel stood alone in her position. She was the only one to praise Vance and demanded: "No more German weapons to Ukraine."
A topic rarely heard in the election campaign so far was raised by moderators Günther Jauch and Pinar Atalay, who asked all four candidates: "Banning smartphones in schools: yes or no?" Scholz and Habeck answered no. Merz, on the other hand, pointed out that it had already been tried in Schleswig-Holstein and "seems to me to be a reasonable answer, at least for elementary school." Weidel clearly advocated for such a ban.
When Scholz ruled out cooperation between democratic parties and the extreme right, referring also to the AfD and the history of National Socialism, Weidel reacted with anger: "I find this comparison scandalous. I reject this for myself personally and for the entire party." Merz called the AfD "a right-wing radical party, largely right-wing extremist." Weidel, in turn, criticized "an outrageous framing of the Alternative for Germany," which she called "a free-conservative party."
In one point, however, all four chancellor candidates were unanimous: None of them wanted to participate in the "Dschungelcamp" (jungle camp), a popular German reality TV show. When asked by the moderators: "What is worse for you, opposition or Dschungelcamp?" Weidel answered: "Definitely Dschungelcamp." Merz also said: "I’d rather spend decades in opposition than ten days in Dschungelcamp." Habeck agreed. Scholz added that he had watched the show once.
Another RTL classic also came into play. In the style of "Wer wird Millionär?" (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?), moderator Jauch presented four possible answers to the question "What percentage of civil servants work until the statutory retirement age?": A: 20%, B: 40%, C: 60%, and D: 80%. Habeck chose 60, Merz and Weidel guessed 40 percent each, and Scholz opted for 20. Jauch revealed the correct answer: "Well, you would have made it to the next round, Mr. Scholz." Scholz’s reaction: "That’s my plan anyway."
Jauch made a slight blunder with what is probably Germany’s most famous coaster. In 2003, Merz had made headlines with his demand to simplify tax returns so that they would fit on such a coaster. Jauch had the very same coaster with Merz’s original notes in the studio. The moderator said he had to be very careful. "I’ve been told that I’m not allowed to touch this coaster because it’s a museum piece." But in an instant, the mishap occurred: The coaster fell to the floor. Jauch picked it up again, seemingly undamaged.
