The big question was: Will Armin Laschet become Chancellor? Some said: Let it! The others said: do it! Does the voter mean: Nothing yet, or: Nothing at all? In any case, Olaf Scholz is now in pole position. Anne Will sends a fast lap into the race “After the Bundestag Election”.
The guests
Reiner Haseloff (67, CDU). Saxony-Anhalt’s Prime Minister achieved a surprising election victory himself in June.
Lars Klingbeil (43, SPD). The SPD general secretary is the clear winner because he organized by far the most successful election campaign.
Volker Wissing (51, FDP). The Secretary General definitely sees his party in the government – but with whom?
Cem Özdemir (55, Greens). The ex-party leader registered the success of his party with sadness: When he was the top candidate himself, he won significantly fewer votes.
Kristina Dunz (54). The journalist (“Rheinische Post”) reported immediately after the election that Laschet was still fighting for the Chancellery.
In the ARD elephant round of the top candidates, there were hardly any fouls. Will it stay that way in the first round of talks after the election? The Zoff-o-Meter is waiting in high tension!
Most worrying prophecy
The journalist has “the feeling that two possible chancellors are now watching each other”. Your fear: “We will have a very hard time, how two men will fight for power, because Scholz and Laschet will not give up the hand to lead this government.”
The Prime Minister draws a gloomy balance sheet for the Union. “The historically worst result!” He complains. “A disaster in East Germany! In the three central German states an unlikely number of direct mandates from the AfD, and that one week before the day of German unity! “
Most self-confident self-praise
Celebrated as the big winner and gave the Union the cold shoulder as another coalition partner in Berlin: SPD General Secretary Lars KlingbeilPhoto: ARD
Klingbeil celebrates its resounding success: “Eight weeks ago we were at 13.14 percent. Now we’re ahead. That’s something I’m proud of! “
The talk show host still pours water into the wine: “That is roughly five percentage points more than in 2017, when the SPD chased Martin Schulz, the top candidate at the time, from the court!”
But the Secretary General does not let the triumph be spoiled: “The party system is currently changing,” he explains. The era of 40 percent parties “like Gerhard Schröder” is over, and “to gain five percent in these times is something that not all parties have succeeded in doing.”
Sportiest comparison
The FDP general states that the citizens “no longer want the lethargy and standstill of the grand coalition” and calls for a “coalition of awakening”.
“Congratulations on the success of the SPD!” Says Özdemir politely. He skilfully mitigates the fall of the Greens after the polls: “We entered the Champions League, wanted to be in first place, now it’s third, but last time we were in fifth place …”
Most interesting interpretation
The election result, says Haseloff, “does not make it clear what the voters are now expecting from the political parties.”
To Klingbeil, who is sitting next to him, the CDU politician says: “You can’t say that the last four years have been to the detriment of the SPD. You took advantage of your development opportunities and we came on an equal footing. A grand coalition is not the devil! “
Most transparent attempt
“It is not a bad thing if two medium-sized parties that we are now at least think twice about what we can do with other partners, what can be done in the next four years,” added the Prime Minister. Nightingale….
Klingbeil shows no reaction. “Also an option to continue the grand coalition!” Grins Özdemir. “That was just an offer!”
Smartest trick
“At the SPD you have the feeling that the candidate doesn’t want to fit into the party,” says Will. Your point: In the next SPD parliamentary group there would be “a lot of young people, and very, very many Jusos!”
The unity within the SPD “is real and is lived”, Klingbeil, unmoved, holds out a poisoned stick to the competition: “We will see in the next few days how strong Armin Laschet is, when the question arises whether he will follow the parliamentary group’s chairmanship. “
Most cunning foul
But the others don’t fall for it: “He just said he won’t do it,” recalls Will, and Dunst assists: “He wants to be Chancellor!”
Never mind, the SPD general still kicks the CDU boss in the heels: “I’m curious whether he has the strength or not!”
Clearest analysis
“He does not want to stand for election”, referee Will clarifies again, and Haseloff confirms: “He said that, and he must have thought something.”
“Armin Laschet is now betting everything to move into the Chancellery,” the journalist notes. “That is his goal.”
Then the Zoff-o-Meter starts
Had to experience that his party with Annalena Baerbock fared significantly better than in 2017 with him – but still gave the winner: Ex-Greens boss Cem ÖzdemirPhoto: ARD
Özdemir is annoyed by Klingbeil’s announcements: “Climate protection, digitization – that sounds a bit like if you had spent the last few years somewhere else,” the Green says.
The SPD general counters with an attack on the expansion of wind power in green Baden-Württemberg and scoffs: “I think we can now slowly get out of this election campaign mode …”
Most provocative question
But the green can not be shaken off: “We have enforced that the CO2 price was increased from ten to 25 euros,” he adds. “The finance minister, who now wants to become chancellor, was the toughest opponent!”
His question: “Will the SPD not only pursue climate protection in Sunday speeches in the future?”
Most urgent appeal
“We are actually all well on our way in Germany,” says Haseloff in a conciliatory manner. “It’s not that the good guys are here and the bad guys there.”
His suggestion: “We know that if we want to, we will also manage a federal government. Let’s talk, let’s negotiate, then we’ll see where the greatest overlaps are. Then we will also bring back the AfD constituencies that we bitterly lost today! “
Toughest economics
The FDP general has another point of criticism: “It is of course a bold undertaking to say that after this pandemic, in which the middle class has suffered a lot, we will add a few percent to the corporate tax,” he blasphemes.
Because, continues Wissing: “To stand up and say that we want to invest heavily in climate neutrality, and the best way to do this is to tax the economy more heavily, then it has less money and can invest more – that’s not quite the logic that I know! “
Clearest rejection
Regarding the taxation of assets (wealth tax, inheritance tax), the FDP general says in no uncertain terms: “The fact that companies will also pay taxes in the future when they are not making a profit is not a really clever idea for a social market economy.”
Özdemir is still demanding more money, for example for education. Wissing’s answer: “It is not the case that you have to raise taxes for everything that costs money.”
Regardless of who his liberals might form a coalition with, for FDP General Volker Wissing, the focus is on: Germany’s economy must not be stalled by incorrect tax increasesPhoto: ARD
Smartest comment
“Does Angela Merkel have to give the New Year’s address again or do we have a new government by the end of the year? ”Will von Haseloff wants to know.
“The probability is 50:50,” estimates the Prime Minister. “The probing will certainly be quick, but then you have to see how you tie it together. But we shouldn’t pretend we’re doing an absolute fresh start now. “
Most energetic hug attempt
Because, said the CDU man to the SPD man: “We have now been together for several legislative periods and have been quite successful. We managed crises of a special nature that no coalition agreement could foresee! “
“We need continuity, priorities and timelines,” adds Haseloff. “That has to be agreed, and that can be done.”
Coolest sales
Regarding the dispute between the Greens and the FDP, the Prime Minister says: “Our offer is constancy: the taxes must not be increased, but we see no scope for lowering them.” So the Union could resolve the conflict between the Greens and the FDP “” and already let’s make a wonderful coalition. ”Hallelujah!
Most fatherly closing words
Because, so Haseloff in the end: “If you don’t come to an agreement, someone has to be there to bind you together. We are all potential partners and now let’s start work tomorrow. ”Amen!
Last stand
But then it crashes again. The SPD general tramples on Haseloff’s attempt to pave the way for a Jamaica coalition with both shoes.
Klingbeil’s killer argument: Laschet did not prevent ex-Constitutional Protection President Hans-Georg Maaßen from running for the CDU, the SPD general railed. His express thanks go to the Greens who, together with the SPD, prevented Maassen. Uff!
Most arrogant rejection
“Neither the SPD nor the CDU prevented us from getting a bunch of blue (AfD) constituencies in Germany tonight!” Shouts Haseloff. “That shouldn’t let us both get quiet!”
But when the Prime Minister reminds of the shared responsibility and calls for a “reasonable cooperation”, Klingbeil lets him drive off haughtily: “Definitely not with the broken Union!”
Quote of the evening
“I also want to say something, Mr. Klingbeil!”
Anne Will
Conclusion
Shawm sounds between the FDP and the Greens, the talk show host on the Friedenspfad, but also fouls and rabble-rousing: That was a talk in the “aftermath” category.