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Campaign Overview and News
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Overview
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Campaign
In a piece for the American Institute on Contemporary German Studies,
William Boston notes that few substantive issues, beyond the economy,
are capturing voters’ attention in the 2002 campaign. The race has
taken on an air many in America may find familiar, while still remaining
distinctly German. William Boston
is a freelance writer based in Berlin who has covered German politics
and business for more than a decade, most recently for the Wall Street
Journal. We have condensed his piece for InFocus. The views expressed
in the following text do not necessarily reflect the views of Germany.info.
Voters, and the German media, are interested only in which of the two
candidates – the incumbent Gerhard Schröder (SPD) or challenger
Edmund Stoiber (CDU/CSU) – is better qualified to tackle the country’s
economic problems and significantly lower unemployment.
There is a new element in 2002 that is likely to have a lasting impact
on the way Germany’s political parties conduct election campaigns.
As the ranks of so-called swing voters grows – political scientists
now count unaffiliated swing voters as the largest single constituency
– political parties and their candidates are all aiming for the
political center to try a pull votes from the opposing camp. As a result,
the differences between the parties are fading, much as they have in
the United States, and the focus on the individual candidates and the
appeal of their personalities is becoming increasingly important.
With both big parties aiming for the political center, it is no surprise
to find many similarities in their respective election programs. In
fact, German economic and fiscal policies are so constrained by the
continued task of financing German unification and the restrictions
placed on national policy by the euro that neither party has much room
to veer from the current policy of budget consolidation. The weak economy
makes it difficult to cut income taxes any further. And big spending
programs that would include subsidies for eastern Germany would probably
run into trouble in Brussels.
Nevertheless, there are some fundamental differences in the way each
candidate would approach the challenges of the next legislative period.
On labor market reform, Schröder is much closer to the unions which
warn against creating a class of the working poor through the proliferation
of low-wage and part-time work. As a result Schröder and the SPD
demand that full-time employment with full benefits remain the norm.
By comparison, Stoiber and the CDU/CSU are in favor of promoting part-time
and low-wage jobs. At the same time, Stoiber would not be able to govern
against the unions and therefore can be expected to make some compromises
to ensure social peace.
On foreign policy matters, both Schröder and Stoiber could be expected
to maintain Germany’s commitments to NATO and the transatlantic
relationship. A challenge in that relationship, that is certainly not
limited to Germany, is how Europe will respond should the U.S. attack
Iraq.
Even if the campaign looks, smells and walks like a horse race, Germany’s
political system still places greater emphasis on parties than on individual
candidates. And because that is the case, the small parties will play
a significant role again this time around when it comes to determining
which of the big parties enters the chancellery. Public opinion polls
have for months predicted a tight race between the three small parties
now in the Bundestag and expected to return in September: Alliance 90/The
Greens, the Free Democrats and the Party of Democratic Socialism, the
heirs to East Germany’s Communist Party.
To learn more about the role of political parties and their programs
go to Political Parties.
News
Both Lead Candidates Optimistic as Results Still Close
Suspense Grows as Tight Race Winds Down
Chancellor Candidates Meet in Second TV Debate
Debate Draws Many Viewers But Few Conclusions
Election
Outcome Wide Open, Pollsters Say
Schröder
Reaffirms Foreign Policy Prudence
 Campaign
2002 - In Search of Stirring Issues
Bavarian
MP Stoiber Meets with Bush
Schröder
vs. Stoiber - The Campaign Begins
Stoiber
To Run for Chancellor as Union Candidate
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