8/31/2023 0 Comments Merkel successor"Armin Laschet is basically the reincarnation of continuity," she says. It needs speeding up and improving."īut Jana Puglierin, head of Berlin's European Council on Foreign Relations, says Laschet - a centrist within the center-right Christian Democratic Union - is very much business as usual. "We cannot continue with business as usual," he said on announcing his candidacy. But this long-term, loyal ally of the incumbent chancellor shares many of Merkel's moderate and centrist views, such as her pro-refugee stance.Īlthough he's running for the party that's been in power for the past 16 years, Laschet is also promising change. Laschet has been slow to back a coal industry shutdown by 2038 - something Baerbock wants to bring forward to 2030. The son of a mining engineer, he's served as state premier of North Rhine Westphalia, one of Germany's major mining regions. Laschet, the 60-year-old conservative candidate, is also often compared with Merkel. Since Baerbock's candidacy was announced, the German press has been awash with comparisons to Merkel, citing fellow lawmakers who say she is tenacious, meticulous and places great importance on expertise - all traits for which the outgoing chancellor is also well known. Baerbock speaks fluent English, having studied at the London School of Economics, and was a medalist at national trampoline championships. Her parents took her to anti-nuclear demonstrations in the 1980s, which also attracted supporters of the Green Party, then in its early years. A member of the Bundestag since 2013, she grew up in a rural village near the northern city of Hanover. This country needs a fresh start."īaerbock, a career politician, was relatively unknown until she became party co-chair in 2018. But I'm running for renewal while others are running for the status quo. "Sure, I've never been chancellor, never been a minister. "Democracy thrives on change," she said in her first campaign speech. Baerbock immediately declared her intention to shake things up.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |