The German elections 2021 are scheduled for September 26, and things are starting to heat up in the nation. There are three candidates in the running, and they all competed in a live televised debate to score points with citizens throughout the country. The chancellor candidates discussed COVID-19, climate change, and the situation in Afghanistan.
This showdown was heavily anticipated, and it did not disappoint. There is a massive change coming in the country as Angela Merkel will step down after 16 years in office. The polls show that her Christian Democratic Union party is in a dead heat with the Social Democrats. Additionally, the Green Party is not far behind the other two.
The Candidates For German Elections 2021
Armin Laschet represents the Christian Democratic Union Party. Laschet is the Premier of North-Rhine Westphalia, which is Germany’s most populous state. He was expected to dominate heading into the election, but this has not been the case, opening the door for the other two parties.
Olaf Scholz of the Social Democratic Party is the current finance minister and vice-chancellor of the country. His popularity has been rising throughout Germany during the campaign season.
Lastly, Annalena Baerbock is the co-chair of the Green Party and representing the group in the election. She hit some roadblocks early in her campaign, which has caused her to struggle to catch up to Laschet and Scholz.
The Issues Discussed
The candidates discussed a variety of topics, including Afghanistan, COVID-19, climate change, and taxes. The group clashed in Afghanistan because of the situation with the German troops throughout the country.
All candidates believed the military was underfunded, which has put the military in danger. Laschet and Scholz battled because the Christian Democratic Union Party accused him of not allocating enough money towards the fighting when he was finance minister.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which is still surging in the nation, was also a major issue. All three candidates took the same approach, stressing the importance of vaccination. They were asked questions about the rights of unvaccinated individuals.
Scholz and Baerbock thought rights should be restricted if people were not vaccinated. However, Laschet stayed down the middle, and this could have helped him heading into September 26.
The three candidates also stressed the importance of renewable energy sources. Nevertheless, Baerbock took multiple shots at her fellow candidates. She said, “To me, it really sounds frightening. You just don’t want to ban anything because that might not go over so well in the election campaign. If we don’t manage to commit the next federal government to climate neutrality, then we have a big, fat problem.”
Who Won the Debate?
The candidates took many of the same stances to stay political, so it’s hard to say there was a clear winner. Baerbock and Laschet had the most contentious moments of the night, while Scholz limited his conflict.
In a reaction poll, 36% of the 2,500 responders said Scholz had won the poll. Baerbock came in with 30%, and Laschet only had 25% of voters say he won. There will be two more debates before the election on September 12 and then September 19.
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