Germany. The final
days of the federal election and tensions are high as each political party
fights through the final push. As an
interested observer, the opportunity to attend the closing out rally of the
Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU) at which Angela Merkel would
be speaking was certainly one I could not turn down. Held at the Fischmarkt in Hamburg yesterday
evening, Chancellor Merkel addressed a full house, with some 4000 people in
attendance. Her arrival, heralded by
uproarious applause and cheers, confirm her star status within the party, and after
a brief interlude of cheerful banter with the moderator Merkel took the podium,
she was there to make a sell to voters and wasted no time.
Her address focused on the power of voters, the power and
importance of their choice. Come Sunday
Germany has the choice between different politics, different values, different
futures. Naturally, she sold the choice
of the CDU, and proceeded to outline successes the party has made in the past
four years. Among these successes:
improved unemployment rates, more opportunities for education and technical
training, an adjustment of Mutterrente to acknowledge the contribution made to
society by mothers of earlier generations.
But choosing the CDU she said is not only about the successes of the
past four years, it is also about the strategies for the future. To remain a major figure, both within and
beyond Europe, Germany needs to continue to innovate, invest in research and
education, and support its entrepreneurs.
Absolutely there is work to be done, but her tone was one of promise, of
possibility.
It was late in her speech when Merkel turned to the topic of
Europe. Here her stance was clear –
Germany must hold the course. Germany’s
continued commitment to help its friends is necessary, that said she was quick
to add that Germany had every right to expect those receiving assistance make
meaningful changes to their financial systems.
Her assertion of a CDU rejection of the possibility of mutualizing
European debt was well received, and was perhaps the most definitive statement
on what we could expect should she become Chancellor once again. The future of Europe is before us, and there
are many difficult choices to be made, I was hoping for more concrete
engagement with these questions, but perhaps we will have to wait for the
results on Sunday.
To close Merkel returned to the theme of choice. Voting communicates the choice of the voter
and her non-partisan message was get out and vote, full stop. Speaking as Chancellor and leader of the CDU
she urged her supporters to give both the first and second voice to the CDU and
to tell their friends. Talk to your
friends about what was discussed here tonight, reflect on what you’ve
heard. Lightening the mood she added,
should anyone ask how she was, the answer should be ‘tired’. Merkel has faced many long days, and
regardless of the results on Sunday there are many long days ahead for Germany
and Europe.
Emma Tunney is a Bachelor of Arts Honors,
Political Science and German of the University of Alberta (Canada) and an
intern at Open Europe Berlin as part of the „Berlin Initiative“ supported by
the Canadian Embassy.
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