By Julian Hale
Ahead of the German elections in February, we saw a stuttering Ampelkoalition [traffic light coalition, i.e. Greens, FDP (yellow) Social Democrats (red)] stuck mainly at red. The ‘Scholzomat’, i.e. the Scholz robot as he has been nicknamed, was unimpressive. The Christian Democrat victory with Friedrich Merz at the helm was expected as was the further rise of the far right Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany). The Brandmauer (firewall against the far right, the equivalent of the ‘cordon sanitaire’ in Belgium) is still unter Druck (under pressure) but it has held for the time being.
As analysts pointed out at a European Policy Centre (EPC) think tank event following the elections, much of the vote was a protest vote against the ineffective Ampelkoalition as much as anything. The 80 percent plus turnout was high, showing that Germans realise how important the elections are. Clearly, this is a real test for Bundeskanzler (Federal Chancellor) Friedrich Merz, whose popularity levels have not been high.
As the EPC analysts noted at their event, AfD leader Alice Weidel didn’t think that this coalition would last long. So far, it’s holding together and there have been positive developments. One relates to the loosening of the ‘Schuldenbremse’ (debt brake) so that Germany can invest in defence and infrastructure. Here, ‘sich wehren’ (to defend yourself) is useful to know as is die Wehrmacht (the army, literally the ‘defence power’).
On another note, a while ago I wrote a column about the Bündnis Sara Wagenecht (BSW). In the end, her party gathered nearly 5% of the vote but not enough to get into the Bundestag.
Some other key terms for you are: die Wahl (election), der Wahlkampf (the election campaign, literally the ‘election fight’) and die Wahlberechtigte (those who are entitled to vote, i.e. the electorate).
And to conclude, here’s a little recommendation to keep up to date with developments in Germany: check out Ipsos and its Meinungsumfragen (opinion polls).
You can read it in German or in other languages, including ‘global English’.
Viel Spaß (have fun) und bis zum nächsten Monat (and until next month)!
Before I leave you, I’d like to announce a small and informal event taking place on Friday, 16 May, at the Press Club, located at 95 Rue Froissart, 1040 Brussels, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
There will be a short presentation on sports that I’m organizing for enthusiasts—covering padel, cricket, softball, and golf—followed by a brief talk on Latin and etymology. This may evolve into a regular monthly informal event focused on language, including how it’s used in the media.
We’ll wrap up with a few drinks at the Press Club.