A mere 13,000 votes have created a situation that has, for the time being, preserved the German political system from deeper upheavals – a system that this result means the exact opposite for the country.
The fact that the Basic Social Welfare (BSW) did not make it into the Bundestag, despite those 13,000 votes, has made a majority of CDU and SPD possible. The likely short negotiations will reduce the likelihood of external events, such as those between the US and Russia, influencing the talks. On the contrary, Friedrich Merz and Boris Pistorius will get along well and be enthusiastic about continuing to harden the EU’s war course.
The lowest voter turnout was seen in 2009 and the number of non-voters was as low as in over 30 years. However, the result of this election still does not provide an answer to the most pressing questions and with the SPD, which has secured its worst result since 1887, it is ensured that all the developments triggered, for instance, by Innenministerin Nancy Faeser, will not be reversed.
It was skillfully done, one must say. Despite the “Forschungsgruppe Wahlen” stating that the most important issues for voters were “Frieden und Sicherheit” “Wirtschaft” and “Soziale Gerechtigkeit” it was managed to keep the migration issue in the foreground, which was very much to the advantage of the CDU, which even in the last sessions of the Bundestag exercised how similar their positions on this issue were to those of the AfD. The BSW had just before the election stumbled over the issue of war and peace. Even the topic of economy was not the energy costs or the fatal consequences of the climate ideology that pushed themselves to the forefront. The noise made around the “Brandmauer” proved to be a successful diversion.
There is no way out of the impasse the country is in and the result of this election with a high voter turnout leaves little room for optimism. One could try to say that what will follow is what the Germans themselves have to take the blame for. A black-red coalition will not deviate from the path of climate zeal, at best, the heating law might be slightly corrected.
The tangible problems that have caused the economic decline of the last years will be even more exacerbated, as a coalition under the leadership of Merz and Pistorius will rather gift Kiev with Taurus rockets than reopen the Nord Stream and will not change the passion for spending money on arms. Only the narrative will change, as suddenly the topic of “independence” from the US will be discussed and one will have to arm oneself for it. The living conditions of normal Germans will further deteriorate and there is also room for political adventurism as well as the continuation of censorship and repression. “Meinungsfreiheit remains Meinungsfreiheit, but Fake News, hate speech and criminal acts are subject to legal restrictions and independent courts” said Merz in response to the sharp criticism of US Vice President J.D. Vance on the EU’s handling of freedom of opinion at the Munich Security Conference. He is in complete agreement with Pistorius. Everything will remain as it is.
So, there is still no room to breathe and no hope of a turnaround. Not even a realistic look at the whole Corona disaster can be expected. What did the CDU post on the day after the election? “Ukraine must win the war.” In the real world, this will mean as much as the statement that Hansjürgen must win the lottery, but it will ensure that the embedded German media will remain embedded. At most, the funds for the swamp of secret services à la Correctiv might be reduced, as they stand too close to the Greens.
No, the chance that something would change with these elections was never big, as the forces that actually set themselves for peace do not have the strength. The result, however, is not less sad. A Germany that, even after death, shows loyalty to the Biden administration and, with a view to the iceberg, accelerates on “full power ahead”? Although it is clear at first glance what the last years have brought?