Germany will soon have a new leader after 16 years with Chancellor Merkel at the helm. It is expected to be a tight race.
Summary
German parliamentary elections are underway Sunday in a tight race with the latest poll numbers showing the center-left Social Democrats with a slight edge.
- The winner will succeed conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel who has been in power since 2005.
- Merkel warned of the consequences of the country electing leaders from the left, saying it’s important to “[keep] Germany stable.”
- The Greens party is polling third after being in the lead earlier this year, though a third-place finish could put the party in an important position when the winner eventually forms a coalition government.
- CNN highlighted the Greens’ role as “kingmaker”, saying alternative parties to the traditional Christian Democrats and Social Democrats are seeing an increase in support lately.
- The New York Times noted a large climate protest in Germany on the eve of the election.
- Incredulously, The Washington Post made Donald Trump the focus of their coverage of the German elections.
- Fox News conducted a brief rundown of Merkel’s reign, who the leading candidates are, and how German federal elections work.
- The Wall Street Journal covered the resistance and alleged discrimination immigrant and candidates who are not ethnically German are facing, especially those of Turkish descent.
- The Daily Mail focused its coverage on the “floundering” of Merkel’s party, whose candidate has been criticized for its handling of devastating floods earlier this year.
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© Dallas Gerber, 2021
