Germany has the choice. But it doesn’t feel that way.

Sep 21st, 2009 2:06 PM UTC
By Carola Bieniek

The situation is a bit odd. The world’s third largest economy will have national elections in less than a week’s time. More than 62 million men and women eligible to vote can set the country’s course for the next four years. But the country hasn’t seen much of a campaign. No ferocious fighting over tough issues. Even the media seem to be somewhat halfhearted when covering the candidates and their positions. Germany’s national election campaign 2009 is boring.

Why? The current government lead by Angela Merkel rests on a majority of Germany’s two major parties: CDU and SPD. Ms. Merkel’s principal contender is vice-Chancellor and Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. When the world financial crisis hit at the end of last year both parties declared that the German people expected crisis management. Not mudslinging about the upcoming elections. And they were probably right. So the crisis forced the two ruling parties into a discipline at work. During the very last weeks before Election Day we could watch a bit more efforts by both sides to explain the political differences between the two. But nevertheless – the key political decisions of the last four years were made by the two large parties together. A government running against itself… how exciting is that?

So everyone in Germany is watching the polls to have a notion of what will happen in this country after September 27. And from the arithmetic of Germany’s five parties which are likely to make it into the next Bundestag the most likely alternatives are a continuation of the current coalition of SPD and CDU lead by Ms Merkel or a coalition of CDU and the more market liberal FDP. And then again – you never know: It is still possible that Mr. Steinmeier will become chancellor of a coalition made up by SPD, FDP and Green party.

What does this mean for Germany’s role in the global fight against poverty? Most parties are quite close in their positions on development as ONE found out in a questionnaire it sent out to the most important candidates. Even Ms Merkel was quite outspoken about Germany’s responsibility to keep the aid promise – but became clearly less forthright during the recent months when the burdens of the financial crisis became more and more evident. Now there is a clear danger that political decision makers overlook the necessity and potential for economic recovery which lies in development of the poorest countries. This is why we need to act.

During the last months ONE has been mobilizing thousands of voices – famous and non-famous – across the country to sign the Article ONE. The Article ONE is an abbreviated version of our demands for Germany’s policy during the next four years. As soon as the ballot is cast and the protagonists of the next four years begin to shake out we will confront them with all the impressive names which support the Article ONE. We will even go on a trip to Tanzania with well known German artists to gather stories from first hand that aid is working. The poorest people of the planet do not deserve that the promises given to them can be reneged because too many billions were given to bankrupt banks. We are ready to go. The weeks after the elections will not be boring at all.

-Carola Bieniek

TAGS: Germany