Nine weeks before the election, the SPD candidate for Chancellor, Martin Schulz goes on the Offensive and announced a plan for the future. Core claim: The state should spend more money.
Martin Schulz must respond. He has no other choice. Almost 15 percentage points, Angela Merkel, to lie between him and the Chancellor, the SPD, the CDU/CSU are chasing for miles and miles. Because the subject of the election campaign of the social Democrats, the social justice, has not yet ignited, but also because the Chancellor arrives quite obviously better outside of the Union. Therefore, Merkel makes alone points at the polls: as Trump, Putin, Erdogan-an adversary, as the G20 host, as the “mother of Europe”.
Spend money as a state obligation
On the big international stage Schulz, the Challenger, Merkel can deliver a duel. He must offer content. Three weeks ago, he presented his election program. Now he has to put up with a Ten-point Plan for a “modern Germany”. Core theme: The state should spend more money. What looks like the old Image of the SPD, the money always go in the front way, is actually meant as an investment obligation. Surplus revenue – currently, there are Federal, state and municipalities, approximately 56 billion Euro are to be directly re-invested, for example in infrastructure and education. Germany is economically well, so it’s high time for investments. If not now, when? But the applause kept within limits.
Good mood looks different: SPD election campaign in Schleswig-Holstein
Analogous to the debt brake, Schulz a state “duty to investments”. He speaks of a “minimum speed” for government spending in infrastructure. The Chancellor countered immediately. It’s not about the money, said Angela Merkel. “We can not at present spend the money, what we have,” the counterattack of the German Chancellor. But to speed up the planning process for priority projects. Bad for Schulz that economic experts Merkel to jump to the side. Clemens Fuest from the Munich-based ifo Institute keeps nothing from Investing with the shotgun.
Too little differences
Right pace Schulz wants to make to the Internet. Germany need a strong digital Germany portal, so that all citizens can complete administrative procedures online. That sounds innovative, but not very original, because the political competition has occupied the subject earlier. And: the Federal government and the countries had agreed last year on this goal. Against this Background, the sentence of the Chancellor sounds, it would be nice if the the ceiling, which also wants the SPD, almost something to pity.
When they called him the “St. Martin”.
Even in the European policy of the former President of the European Parliament has no home advantage, but Angela Merkel, after many crisis months strong again. With France’s new President, Mr Macron she is working on a Reform of the old EU axis Paris-Berlin.
Social justice is no longer
Almost as a shop Keeper, the topic of social justice in the SPD/Schulz-election campaign. It is a social-democratic classic, but he does not get caught. Schulz was delighted at the Declaration of his candidacy half a year ago his party with the announcement that some of schröder’s Agenda2010 correct, the old lethargy of the party’s base attacks now and again. No mobilization, no enthusiasm for the New at the top, no idea for a successful race to catch up.
A duel is none: In the spring, Martin Schulz, was even a time in front of Angela Merkel
And not only the SPD-voters show little inspired by the election campaign program. Economic experts warn, is that by the time social policy and economic policy, again to turn back. Around 90 percent of the people to be hosts of the Republic in large Parts of the SPD odious agenda policy of Chancellor Schröder to write a strong impetus to employment policy. The unemployment numbers are so low as long as not more not more not to deny the social Democrats, for millions of a Job in low-wage hours enough, but for the living, hence the SPD seem to be and their candidate for Chancellor, yet not a election issue.
Votes vacuum cleaner Merkel is also outside the Union
The core of the problem for Martin Schulz, Angela Merkel. They sold little content that it sells. Her trademark, the diamond stands for what the Germans love most of all: peace and quiet and little change. Even there, where you dared historically, the biggest change in the refugee policy, namely that reaps you now, praise and recognition – even in the social Democrats. Angela Merkel is as an Anti-Trump, Anti-Putin, Anti-Erdogan perceived – Schulz does not take place. The Best part was the Start, after that, he was a long-distance runner put it, to the rear passed through. And from the back of the field to reopen, only succeeds at very few.