On 26 September 2021, the federal elections are to take place in Germany.
After than 1 ½ years in which a pandemic has been the ever-present topic and politics has, more or less, only been concerned with keeping the damage of this catastrophe within acceptable limits.
To a certain extent, they were successful in doing so.
Unemployment, for example, has not risen as much as might have been expected in view of the miserable economic data. The situation is similar for companies. Instead of a wave of bankruptcies, our country will soon be flooded with zombie companies.
As justified as these interventions may be, they are currently preventing the necessary discussion about how our society and economy should be oriented for the future.
And this is where the election comes into play.
Instead of an election campaign in which these very issues for the future will be debated, it is to be feared that the immediate impact of the pandemic will overshadow all of that.
So while we vote in a way that would make sense under the premise of stabilising society, while politicians act as if the current well-being of the population is the most important maxim, we miss the moment for a national reform mood.
This is then brought to the attention of the newly elected government quite quickly, but we have no chance to elect anyone else, not for the next four years at least….
The last grand coalition under Merkel was, let’s face it, already a great mistake. This mentality of stalemate could even be prolonged now, almost regardless of who finally becomes next chancellor.
Simon Dierich 