The national parties have suffered at the European elections in great losses. Especially the young rather chose Green as the CDU or SPD, not only because the climate is particularly on the heart.
The Green party in Germany to celebrate: 20.5 percent of the votes they got in the European elections, almost twice as much as in the European elections of 2014 (10.7 percent). Thus, according to the CDU, the second strongest force.
Especially with the young voters they were able to score: 34 per cent of Under-25-Year-old chose green. Is a different case to the voters over 60: Of only 13 percent for the Greens, but 40 per cent for the CDU, agreed. Also, the AfD and the SPD were for the older voters to be more successful than in the young. How can these sharply diverging results be explained? Weakness of the existing national parties, the CDU and the SPD a “Generation”?
Yes, says the political scientist Sigrid Roßteutscher. She teaches at the Goethe University in Frankfurt and the head of a long-term study on voting behavior in Germany. “The national parties no longer get to the young voters,” she said to the DW. The have already emerged in the state elections in Hesse and Bavaria, and seem transparent to the author.
The Greens in Germany, the generation change within the party was a success. With Anna Lena Baerbock, Robert Habeck or Ska Keller, you have authentic, youth peak forces.
The CDU’s professional animals, in contrast, is a classic of its political base – the Problem here is your age. “Already in the state elections in Hessen and Bayern you could see in the past year: The majority of the voters of the CDU lost because they die,” says Roßteutscher.
Not A “Rezo-Effect”
The success of the Green leave, but also by their thematic focus to explain, says Roßteutscher – on climate protection, the core theme of Green. The tendency of Junior choice, a simulated choice in schools, the minors have voted speaks. Here, too, the Greens were way ahead – and the days prior to the publication of the “Rezo-Videos”. Not until the last days before the election, seem to be have been crucial.
Blue hair, green theses: YouTuber Rezo
The also showed a before the election released the DW-analysis on the impact of young voters on the political relations of forces. Climate protection was already demonstrated in the run-up to a priority for young European voters, as a YouGov poll in April. Especially in Western European member States, it was expected that the young voters are inclined to the Green.
The mobilization of young people has not only started in the last few weeks, also sees political consultant Martin Fuchs, so. The frustration among the young people have built up a long time ago. He says: the Fridays for the Future of the movement was only successful because the disappointment and loss of trust had already been there – they were the breeding ground for the movement. Fox teaches political institutions and parties in digital communication. Among other things, he has advised a number of Federal ministries, land governments and land associations of CDU, Greens and the Left.
Roßteutscher stresses: the increasing politicization of the youth is to be welcomed – at the same time one should not forget that the involvement of young people in terms of environmental and climate protection is a “high school movement”. Went to the climate demonstrations, especially children from well-educated households, and then chose green. Young voters with low educational background were still a large part of voters. The need to appeal to the people’s parties, since they might claim to care about “the little people”.
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Fuchs: The national parties such as the CDU or SPD would have to stop, “to keep Sunday talk” and the younger audience will finally take it seriously. Part of it also to try, the young people outside the traditional party structures. “Young people have little interest in, continuously of a structure to connect. You want to be temporarily integrated into projects and not in the back room with the old grandees about local politics to discuss,” he told DW.
Bad Communication?
But not only because of their content, the CDU and SPD do not reach the young voters: the problem the nature of political communication, is a consultant, Fuchs says. The takes place today to a large extent in social media. “In the Gros can be used by the parties, however, is wrong,” says Fox. Many parties had underestimated the relevance of social media, because it went a long time without you. Now you have to learn to use Social Media differently. Social networks are not a “press release dispatch station”. “It’s about the Dialogue, to participation and to transparency.” For this, it need but all other structures within the parties.
“The stability of the party system has come to Vary”
What is the meaning of the new distribution of the vote for the German party landscape? “The stability of the party system has come to Fluctuate,” says Roßteutscher. Instead of two great parties there will be in the future, many similar parties. “We are going to have more complicated Government formation.”
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Electoral defeat for the CDU and the SPD
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Historical setback for the Union and the SPD in the European elections
The increase in the influence of young voters seems to be no short-term effect. Even if their share of the electorate is still lower than that of their parents and grandparents, they will change the political landscape. In Germany, the already are.
The also Roßteutscher: The existence of the CDU and the SPD is seriously threatened, says the political scientist. If you have not tried urgently to the young Generation, contributed to a “subtle Exodus.” “No party has a forever warranty.”