Europe
The
rise of Trump has led to an unexpected twist in Germany’s election:
A resurgent left
By Anthony Faiola
February 16 at 5:09 PM
BERLIN — The
unconventional administration of President Trump may be causing
consternation among American liberals. But here in Germany, the
anchor of the European Union, Trump’s rise is helping fuel an
unexpected surge of the left.
What is happening in
Germany is the kind of Trump bump perhaps never foreseen by his
supporters — a boost not for the German nationalists viewed as
Trump’s natural allies but for his fiercest critics in the center
left. The Social Democrats (SPD) have bounced back under the
charismatic Martin Schulz, the former head of the European Parliament
who took over as party chairman last month and is now staging a
surprisingly strong bid to unseat Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In a country that
stands as a painful example of the disastrous effects of radical
nationalism, Schulz is building a campaign in part around bold
attacks on Trump. He has stopped well short of direct comparisons to
Adolf Hitler, but Schulz recently mentioned Trump in the same speech
in which he heralded his party’s resistance to the Nazis in the
lead-up to World War II.
[German politicians
demand new deportation centers, re-vetting of migrants]
“We will never
give up our values, our freedom and democracy, no matter what
challenges we are facing,” Schulz said in a recent speech. He
added, “That a U.S. president wants to put up walls, is thinking
aloud about torture and attacks women, religious communities,
minorities, people with handicaps, artists and intellectuals with
brazen and dangerous comments is a breach of taboo that’s
unbearable.”
His anti-Trump
platform comes as Germans are questioning American power more than at
any point since the end of the Cold War, illustrating an erosion of
allied faith in the new era of “America first.” A recent poll
found that only 22 percent of Germans see the United States led by
Trump as a “reliable partner” — putting it only one percentage
point above Russia.
The traditional left
remains in disarray in France and Britain. But buoyed by Schulz’s
approach, his party last week pulled ahead of Merkel’s center-right
Christian Democrats in opinion polls for the first time in six years.
Elections are not until September, but analysts are giving the SPD,
under Schulz, its best chances to regain power since Gerhard Schröder
lost to Merkel in 2005.
“There are
different factors that are coming together for the SPD,” said Ralf
Stegner, the party’s deputy chairman. “Schulz has provided a new
impulse for people who were waiting to come back . . . but also,
the new American president, because Trump’s presidency has
politicized the German public, making them more active and aware.”
Without naming
names, Merkel, who was perhaps closer to President Barack Obama than
any world leader, has taken aim at Trump — criticizing, for
instance, his refugee ban. But Schulz has also accused Merkel of
being too diplomatic.
[In Germany, the
language of Nazism is no longer buried in the past]
Germany, which
shoulders the history of Nazi tyranny, is an outlier in containing
the current spread of me-first nationalism. Even as far-right parties
and isolationist politics gain ground elsewhere in Europe, the
largest right-wing populist party here — the Alternative for
Germany — has fallen slightly in the polls since Trump’s
election.
At the same time,
left-wing parties in Germany have seen a jump in dues-paying members.
There are also signs that Trump’s election is making left-leaning
voters in Germany more politically active.
Take, for instance,
Kristina Seidler, a 28-year-old mother and Düsseldorf resident who
works as a substantiality adviser for a textile company. She has
voted for the SPD before. But the day after Trump’s victory, she
signed up as a dues-paying member and party volunteer.
Horrified by Trump’s
win, she said she sees the traditional left as the only answer and is
preparing to put up posters and help with campaigning as the German
election season rolls into high gear.
“What kind of sign
is it for the world when a man who is a racist, who treats women so
badly, can become the president of the United States?” Seidler
said. “I thought, ‘It’s time for me to do something.’ ”
Perhaps the biggest
single driver of the SPD’s new popularity, however, is Schulz.
The SPD is already
part of Merkel’s governing “grand coalition,” with the party’s
senior operatives filling top cabinet posts. Yet its popularity with
its left-leaning base has been hampered by that power-sharing deal.
Under its former chairman, Sigmar Gabriel — Merkel’s foreign
minister — the SPD was struggling to distance itself from the
current government.
Enter Schulz, who
last month took over as the party’s chairman and candidate,
positioning himself as an “outsider” who could mix things up in
Berlin. A 61-year-old who never finished high school, Schulz has
embraced his imperfections, openly speaking about his battle with
alcoholism. He started in local politics, becoming the mayor of the
western German town of Würselen before being elected to the European
Parliament in 1994.
He rose through the
ranks as a champion of European unity, civil rights and social
justice, becoming the parliament’s president in 2012. He has at
times been chided for his tell-it-like-it-is approach, drawing the
wrath of the Hungarian and Polish governments after decrying
democratic lapses in those countries.
Critics call Schulz
similar to Trump in at least one regard: He is a straight talker who
argues against elites and favors the common man. He is also blunt —
a trait that contrasts with Merkel, a leader famous for her
meandering, parsed answers.
“The way in which
he conjures up the alleged division of society in a populist manner
is along the lines of the post-factual methods of the U.S. election
campaign,” Merkel’s finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, charged
in Der Spiegel last week
In the dealmaking
game that is coalition governments, Schulz may have several paths to
the chancellery if his party can maintain its momentum. It will be
difficult, analysts say, but Schulz’s rising popularity means it is
no longer unthinkable that Merkel loses.
[Germany used to be
migrants’ promised land. Now, it’s turning them back.]
Merkel’s open-door
policy for refugees brought a barrage of criticism from the
conservative wing of her party. And despite Merkel’s hesitance,
Horst Seehofer, head of her sister party, the Christian Social Union,
appears to be extending his hand to Trump, praising the new
president’s “consistency” and “speed” in implementing his
campaign promises.
A Merkel loss could
mean a greater frost in German-U. S. relations, harking back to the
days of Schröder’s cool relationship with President George W.
Bush. Merkel, while hardly cozying up to Trump, has nevertheless
avoided outright conflict. Analysts call that further evidence of her
pragmatism and firm belief that Germany needs the United States,
diplomatically and for collective defense.
“Going after Trump
might be a smart strategy for winning elections but not for running a
government,” said Jürgen Falter, a political scientist at Mainz
University.
Stephanie Kirchner
contributed to this report.
SchulzThe rise of Trump has led to an unexpected twist in Germany’s election: A resurgent left versus Merkel
The
Revitalization of Democracy in Germany
The
surprise news that former European Parliament president Martin Schulz
will run against Angela Merkel to become Germany's next chancellor
has rekindled interest in politics in the country. After two
lackluster elections in 2009 and 2013, it also fosters new hope for a
liberal democracy in crisis.
© A DER SPIEGEL
Editorial by Dirk Kurbjuweit
February 16, 2017
04:21 PM Print FeedbackComment
Respirators provide
emergency breathing assistance to patients running out of oxygen.
Martin Schulz is currently playing the role of respirator for German
politics. He is invigorating democracy, regenerating long-absent
excitement for his party, the Social Democrats (SPD), and fueling
hopes of a change in government. After 11 years, there is finally a
realistic alternative to Chancellor Angela Merkel, who seems so tired
and listless recently that it looks as though even she thinks it has
been too long.
We are experiencing
a shift. Germany is transitioning from a period of political
demobilization to one of mobilization, and that is good news. Merkel
never wanted the German people to become particularly active
politically. Instead she sought to calm people, assuage their fears
and lull them to sleep -- to deprive democracy of political oxygen in
the form of debates, emotion and ideas. Voter turnout fell.
Reawakening
Democracy
It was Merkel
herself who put an end to this period of torpor with her refugee
policies, and the mobilization period began. The right-wing populist
Alternative for Germany (AfD) party quickly became a recepticle for
fears, resentment and disappointment and the debate became more
lively if, at times, unsavory. Suddenly, democracy was enlivened, as
if awakened from a deep sleep - but most of the action was on the far
right -- and liberal democracy fell into crisis.
Thanks to Schulz,
Germany is now experiencing a shift within the shift. His candidacy
is ushering in the second phase of mobilization, this time at the
center of society and on the left wing. The enthusiasm he has sparked
has long been missing. Schulz, of course, isn't particularly
charismatic nor is he a bright beacon of light personifying the
anti-establishment. On the contrary, he has played a significant role
in the European Union, and in the German SPD party, for years. He's
just as down to earth as Merkel -- more traditional than avant garde.
Merkel Seems
Burned-Out
What differentiates
him most from Merkel is his passion. Schulz has a true passion for
Europe and he has always fought passionately on behalf of this
challenging project. And it's a safe bet that he will also approach
other projects with the same kind of passion. Merkel, on the other
hand, who has always been reserved in her statements, appears burned
out these days. She made two appearances to announce her 2017
chancellor candidacy - once on her own and one last week together
with Horst Seehofer, the head of the Christian Social Union, the
Bavarian sister party to Merkel's Christian Democratic Union with
which it shares power at the national level. Seehofer famously
delayed his party's endorsement of Merkel's candidacy in protest over
her refugee policees. And Merkel looked tired, even exhausted, during
both announcements and had trouble making clear what she actually
wants to do with a fourth term in office.
Given that voters
should be able to expect a chancellor to show enthusiasm for her
work, both appearances were a disgrace - also for democracy. Who
wants to become politically active when even the German chancellor
makes such uninspired appearances?
After more than 11
years on the job, Merkel is fatigued. Voters have also become tired.
After more than 11
years on the job, Merkel is fatigued. Voters have also become tired.
Schulz is also a
gift to the Social Democrats because the party finally has a person
in place who shows an unwavering desire to be in power. The party's
chancellor candidates in the last two elections -- Frank-Walter
Steinmeier (2009) and Peer Steinbrück (2013) -- all appeared for
various reasons to be inhibited, hesitating and skeptical. Sigmar
Gabriel, who recently stepped down as party chief and had initially
planned to run as the SPD's chancellor candidate, exhibited the same
characteristics. It didn't feel right and voters noticed.
Fresh and Hungry for
the Job
Schulz, in contrast,
appears to be as fresh as he is hungry for the job, and SPD voters
seem to like him. When a candidate and a party can succeed in coming
together like that, then it is a win-win situation for democracy -
because it presents a real alternative.
So far, Schulz has
been drumming up voter enthusiasm based entirely on his personality
and has yet to offer any concrete political proposals. Ultimately, of
course, that will have to change. There are, after all, two stages in
the way people react to surprises like Schulz's candidacy: with
emotion first, but then with questions, with rationality. Schulz is
still enjoying the first stage, the more pleasant one. But once the
cheering dies down, he will have to come forward with his plans for
Germany - the refugee policies he will pursue, how he actually plans
to achieve the fairness he has been touting and whether or not new
laws are needed for domestic security in response to the risk of
further terrorist attacks.
When he does, it's
likely he will put some people off. Besides, in politics,
contradictions, inconsistencies and affairs are always lurking
somewhere around the corner. Schulz still has to demonstrate whether
he is appropriate for the job.
Paradoxically,
Merkel's hopes lie partially with Donald Trump. If his administration
continues to stumble, or if things get even worse, then German voters
may begin thinking that Merkel, with her steadfastness and
experience, might be the better choice for chancellor after all.
German life would continue to live with a limited supply of political
oxygen.
At this juncture,
however, it's not the ultimate winner that matters most. What counts
right now is that, after two extremely lackluster election seasons,
we are looking at the prospect of an exciting campaign. A democracy
isn't just about results - it's also about how we get to them, the
process. A good, passionate election campaign could help to free
liberal democracy from its current state of crisis.
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