For sixteen years, Angela Merkel left her mark on Germany. A whole generation has known only her as Chancellor. Emil Wensel is one of its representatives. He has just graduated this summer. At the age of 14, he joined the Junge Union, the youth party of the CDU, the formation of the German leader.“For me, Angela Merkel, it’s continuity and stability: she went from one crisis to another without a hitch,” he believes.
For Erik Wensel, the Christian Democrat camp will be able to lead a new government without Angela Merkel. “I think Armin Laschet is the man who can lead Germany in the right direction,” he says before adding: “He is an excellent candidate for the post of chancellor. He has experience, he has done good things in North Rhine-Westphalia and he will do the same with the federal government.”
A different personality at the chancellery?
Nearly three million young people are called to vote for the first time, during these legislative elections. A generation which according to polls is sensitive to change and renewal in political life.
“Depending on the results, one could have a radically different personality who steps up to the post of chancellor,” says Erik Flügge, election researcher. “It will be surprising, especially for those who have only known Angela Merkel,” he specifies.
In the home stretch of this campaign, the CDU-CSU clearly lost ground against the Greens and even the Liberals among 18-29 year olds. Johannes Klein, member of the university group Campusgrün, reproaches him- Angela Merkel for not taking enough care of the problems of young people.
“There have been big problems in recent years in the area of social justice, and recent governments have slammed the brakes on climate protection,” considers the student of philosophy. “We want a sustainable future for young people, but also retirement pensions at a stable level for our grandparents,” he emphasizes.
Angela Merkel and her cult phrases
While Angela Merkel’s terms of office will soon be a thing of the past, some of her words and certain events linked to her action will remain etched in the memory of young voters.
Alex Urban who is 22 years old tells us: “She said,” The Internet is new territory. I would say we grew up with her, “ he said.
Fatma Sustam, of the same age, recalls another highlight: “When the refugees shouted, ‘Thank you Merkel, thank you mom.’ That’s the first thing I think of, it’s that friendly mother role that I see at her house first,” she asserts.
At 19, Alexander Lengersdorf remembers him in 2015 and his famous sentence about opening his country’s borders to refugees : “We’ll get there.”
Young people and their electoral weight
Angela Merkel marked these young people in a positive or negative way and today, they designate the one who will succeed her.
Sixty million Germans are called to vote in these legislative elections. More than two thirds are over 40 years old. Germany is an aging country: which also has a weight in the ballot box.
Yet in this tight election campaign, young voters could provide candidates with the final votes they need to gain access to the chancellery.
Reference-feedproxy.google.com