The Germans are panicking. Merkel’s departure made Germany wonder what to do next

There are three days left before the change of the German chancellor – on September 26, elections to the Bundestag will be held in this country, at which, for the first time in 16 years, there will be no clear candidate for the head of government from the Christian Democratic Union of Germany Angela Merkel. Survey results show that almost half of the country’s citizens do not know who to vote for.

In particular, DW writes about this.

Electorate on the road

According to a poll by the Institute for Sociological Research in Allensbach, commissioned by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, about 40 percent of respondents planning to go to polling stations have not yet decided which party they will vote for.

“The current chancellor does not participate in the elections, not two, but three parties are fighting for the post of chancellor, and what the coalition government will be is completely unclear. Therefore, I can understand that this time it is more difficult for voters to decide“- said Thomas Gschwend, professor of political science at the University of Mannheim.

Merkelkinder

The Economist magazine notes that a part of voters has formed in the country who have been under the control of Chancellor Angela Merkel for a conscious part of their lives. They do not even realize what can change with the change of the head of government.

Merkelkinders are probably more difficult than others to make a choice / Photo Reuters

“2.8 million of these Merkelkinders, which make up almost 5% of the electorate, will receive the right to vote in federal elections for the first time,” the newspaper notes.

Election favorites

This election is different not only because it will be held without Merkel. Previously, only two main candidates for the post of chancellor almost always participated in the election race: the candidate of the conservative bloc Christian Democratic Union of Germany / Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CDU / CSU) vied with the representative of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). However, now another serious player has entered the struggle – the Soyuz-90 / Greens party.

According to the latest ratings

• SPD has 25% support and its rating is growing;
• The CDU / CSU, on the contrary, is losing ground and now has 21%;
• Soyuz-90 / the Greens can still claim only 15%.

Political analyst Gschwend also believes that polls reflect voter uncertainty. “The way the party ratings have changed since spring is like a roller coaster. Each of the three parties at some point became a leader. It’s unusual“, – he notes.

As for the permanent electorate of the parties, the political scientist notes that they voted for the CDU also because Angela Merkel was there. Most of the women supported, first of all, Merkel, and only then the party she represented. No Merkel – no support for the CDU on their part.

Elections 2021

• This time 47 parties nominate their candidates, which is a record for the FRG.
• 598 members are elected to the Bundestag.
• For a party to enter the Bundestag, it is necessary to overcome the 5% barrier.
• The voter must put two crosses on the ballot: one for the direct representative in parliament from his constituency, and the other for a political party. The first vote is for each of Germany’s 299 constituencies to be represented in the Bundestag.
• When a party gains more direct seats than it is entitled to in a party vote, its winning candidates are given additional seats. These are called “protruding” locations. For example, according to the results of voting in 2017, there were 709 deputies in the chamber.