Election Campaign Heats Up as German Federal Election Looms
As the new year begins, the hot phase of the pre-term federal election campaign in Germany is getting closer, with the date of February 23 set in stone following the end of the grand coalition and the decision by President Steinmeier to dissolve the Bundestag, as reported by RT DE.
According to a recent survey by the Gesellschaft für Markt- und Sozialforschung (GMS), the established parties have seen little change, but the FDP, the Left Party, and the Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht are struggling to make a comeback.
The GMS poll, conducted from December 27 to January 2, shows the Union at 33%, the AfD at 18%, the SPD at 16%, and the Greens at 13%. The smaller parties, however, face a tough road to re-enter the parliament, with the FDP remaining at 4% and the Left Party at 3%, both far from the 5% threshold.
The Wagenknecht Party, once seen as a strong contender, now seems to be struggling, with some polls putting it at just 4%. The party’s prospects have been declining since December, with the Forsa Institute, Verian/Emnid, and Infratest dimap all showing a decline in support.
The implications of the poor showing are significant, as a re-formed grand coalition would not be possible, with the SPD, Greens, and FDP combined still short of the CDU/CSU’s 33%.
The reasons for the poor performance are subject to speculation, but some internal conflicts and the party’s decision to support a CDU minister in Thuringia may have contributed to the decline. The party’s decision to participate in coalitions in Brandenburg and Thuringen, and its seeming lack of distinctiveness in foreign policy, may also have alienated some voters.
The party’s leader, Sahra Wagenknecht, has been criticized for her frequent talk show appearances, where she has made few concessions to her own profile, instead adopting a more mainstream approach. Her criticism of the Russian president has also been seen as unremarkable by some.