On Sept. 26, German voters will go to the polls. With the general election approaching rapidly, Annalena Baerbock is likely to be the next German chancellor in the 16-year term of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Baerbock's Party—the Greens—was in the lead in the majority of opinion polls for many weeks now, ahead of Merkel's CDU/CSU. أراضي اللؤلؤة
Which of their two leaders — Annalena Baerbock and Robert Habeck — the Greens nominated to the chancellor's office for a while was unclear. Then, on 19 April, Annalena Baerbock was officially confirmed as her nominee. The forty-year-old Baerbock will be the youngest chancellor in Federal Republic history. She will also be Germany's left-wing chancellor.
She studied politics and international law and, since January 2018, she has been co-leader of German Greens and is a partner of Robert Habeck. The Greens regard themselves as a feminist Faction, which may have been the decisive factor behind the selection of Baerbock as chancellor candidate for the party.
On September 24, 2017, in the last federal election, Greens won just 8.9 percent, making them the smallest of the six parties in the German parliament. According to the latest estimates, between 24 and 28 per cent of the vote will be secured this time around. The same poll places the CDU/CSU (Christian Democrats, ruling party Angela Merkel) in second position, for the very first time, behind the Greens. Of course, this could also alter by September. It is very likely.
Either way, the Greens would have a decisive impact on the policies of the next federal government in Germany. After all, following the September elections the only possible coalition governments include the Greens either retaining the chancellor or taking at least a very good second position. Germany could end up with a left-wing government led by the Greens in coalition with the SPD and Die Linke. Recent polls show that these three parties will be in a general parliamentary position together. In recent years, the Social Democrats (SPD) have sharply torn the left—they have more in common with Bernie Sanders than Joe Biden. Die Linke is the current iteration of East Germany's former communist party (after several name changes). Trotskyist Janine Wissler headed the party.
The Greens could form an alliance with the CDU/CSU in another scenario. Both parties said that they were open to this proposal. Less probable, however, is the federal government headed by the Greens, along with the SPD and the market-oriented FDP.
The Greens commit to going beyond national states to create a "Federal European Republic" in European politics. In pursuit of this final objective, the Political Party wants "the EU to be given an instrument for creating a permanent fiscal policy of its own which, in the event of a crisis, cannot be blocked by each nation." This will essentially entail the empowerment of national parliaments and the enforcement of minimum wages and high social standards across Europe.
As far as international affairs are concerned, Baerbock wants to see German foreign policy almost entirely guided by moral values. On the other hand, economic interests, realpolitik considerations and security policy play no part whatsoever. For example, in dealing with China and Russia, the Greens plan to be tougher. However, the political party often criticizes the US and opposes the notion of spending 2 percent on protection on the Gross Domestic Product.
There is also the extremely contentious question of immigration on the domestic front. Annalena Baerbock has been supporting Angela Merkel's open-border immigration policy since 2015. The electoral manifestation of the Green Party would also support a "welcome immigration scheme." And now, the Greens are trying to get Boris Palmer, the mayor of Tübingen, a prominent politician out of the party. He has been a vocal opponent of the Open Borders policies of his party, and in recent days Baerbock accused him of being "racist." Palmer responded by attacking the "cancel culture" team.
One of the Greens' key characteristics is the way the political group stays disconnected from the business sector. About 44% of the members of the party are public servants or work in the public sector, and officials are also the biggest group of supporters of the party. The Greens champion an incredibly strong presence for the state on economic policy. As a "last resort," they called for the nationalization of real estate companies. In Berlin, Germany, the Greens vigorously endorse an effort to nationalize housing companies that own more than 3,000 homes.
There is also the inheritance tax in Germany, which was abolished in 1997. The Greens want to reinstate it on €2 million or more in cash. Top earners will also have to pay income tax of over 50%. On these topics, the political party shares a great deal with the SPD and Die Linke, which backed the demands for reintroduction of the inheritance tax and for substantial increases in income taxes. If Die Linke had their way, the top income tax rate will be up to 75%. The prospects of a tripartite left-wing government have been particularly unsettled by entrepreneurs and many already consider leaving Germany if that is what Germany ends up with.
Annalena Baerbock now relies on the fact that the media – in particular German TV broadcasters – seem to sympathize with her. Many journalists seem to be inherent in their party affinity. The ARD and ZDF quasi-state TV stations did little to cover up their prejudice. Just the other day, a conservative journalist asked about whether tax-deductible political contributions to the Greens should not be regarded as the levy on TV and radio licenses (€8 billion annually) that all Germans are expected to pay. Some analysts have also said Merkel wants Baerbock to succeed her as chancellor rather than a man of her own party.