When Scholz and Merz are really on the move, democracy comes alive

On Wednesday it was shown once again that it is good for democracy in Germany when the SPD and CDU do not govern together. If the two parties that have essentially led this country through the past few decades do not struggle behind closed doors to find intricate compromises, but instead argue publicly about the best solutions. In terms of content, but also polemical to the limits of political fairness. Not beyond.

Things were getting hectic in the German Bundestag, but never below the belt. In the general debate on the chancellor's budget, Friedrich Merz and Olaf Scholz fought a duel that the Bundestag had not experienced for a long time in such sharpness, and at times also in the precision of the respective arguments, certainly not at this highest level of parliamentarianism.

On the one hand, of course, that was due to the leader of the opposition, Merz, who skilfully dissected the current weaknesses of the coalition. Who attacked both the traffic light parties and the AfD, which is still annoying to the Union, and proved that he can still be the dashing opposition leader that his party hoped for from him.

In his speech in the Bundestag, opposition leader Friedrich Merz spoke out against the government and the policies of Chancellor Olaf Scholz. He describes Robert Habeck as a "Federal Minister of Economics, whom we can always watch while he is thinking".

Source: WORLD

But it was also - and almost a little more - due to Olaf Scholz. Triggered by Merz's provocative rhetoric, the Chancellor not only pushed aside the speech manuscript to which he had last always clung so terribly rigidly.

He also shed everything Merkelesque, Scholzo-like, mask-like and allowed a glimpse of the passionate, also irritable and counterattacking politician who otherwise likes to hide behind the facade of his respective state office. As much as Scholz appreciates shaping politics discreetly and behind closed doors as tightly as possible – this Wednesday he showed that there is another way.

It's about time, as a look at the current polls shows. As much as people over the past two decades have appreciated being ruled by men and women who are always sober, objective and always reserved, in this epochal crisis they long for a leader who is also outwardly strong.

Difficult times need not exclusively, but at least passionate politics. Friedrich Merz and Olaf Scholz have proven that they are capable of doing this.