Quite the marmalade-dropper, this: 3 weeks before Germany's election, Angela Merkel has issued a statement criticising her own party for enabling ("with open eyes") a majority with the AfD. Effectively accuses Merz of breaking his pledge not to do so. www.buero-bundeskanzlerin-ad.de/erklaerungen... - ThreadSky

jeremycliffe.bsky.social • 23 days ago

Quite the marmalade-dropper, this: 3 weeks before Germany's election, Angela Merkel has issued a statement criticising her own party for enabling ("with open eyes") a majority with the AfD. Effectively accuses Merz of breaking his pledge not to do so.

https://www.buero-bundeskanzlerin-ad.de/erklaerungen/erklaerung-von-bundeskanzlerin-a-d-dr-angela-merkel-zur-abstimmung-im-/

Comments

hauerthomas.bsky.social•23 days ago

she is absolutely right. she did many mistakes and postponed even more things to her successors which left Germany where it is today but with that point: yep on point.

edutuario.bsky.social•23 days ago

Good to see this side of Merkel, her response to the Syrian Crisis was superb and brave, however a lot of Germany's problems are her fault, from the infrastructure neglect, discontent due to austerity, failure to integrate the East, and an energetic policy that put Germany in recession.

edutuario.bsky.social•23 days ago

In summary, good she is talking back against her own party, but would have prefered she dealt with some of these issues, i don't know maybe in the 16 years she was in power.

jmolofsson.bsky.social•23 days ago

I think she did.

But, of course, depends on what you more specifically are thinking of.

edutuario.bsky.social•23 days ago

The closing of the nuclear power plants without a plan, a slow transition towards renewables, and an over-reliance on Russian gas all have put Germany into recession.The usual suspects are using this economic uncertainty to fear monger, but Merkel set the stage for the economic crisis.

edutuario.bsky.social•23 days ago

@saschalobo.bsky.social made a good summary of Merkel's biggest mistakes: bad energy policy, no investment in digital innovation, no investment in infrastructure, austerity politics. A lot of what is wrong in Germany today has roots in Merkel. https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/angela-merkel-und-ihr-scherbenhaufen-kolumne-von-sascha-lobo-a-0381217c-f464-4903-a5e5-e42b92bb9174

woodystock.bsky.social•23 days ago

📌

d3rrick.bsky.social•23 days ago

I don't expect that Merz will have a career after this fuckup.

petergratton.bsky.social•23 days ago

I’m a simple man so others might be on about the intricacies of this for electoral impact and psychological insights, I’m happy with the phrase “quite the marmalade dropper.”

sylviawitch.bsky.social•23 days ago

I love you for this, because I was kind of stuck on that, even though I’ve been following the German “breaking the firewall” issue with interest ever since a German acquaintance pointed it out.
But “quite the marmalade dropper” is now a phrase I want to slip into conversation with my family…

frank-der-tank.bsky.social•23 days ago

Merz should have distanced the CDU from Merkel's 16 years of not investing in Germany when he had the chance to instead of this stupid act.

rhid83.bsky.social•23 days ago

Angela is so good for doing this and speaking out when she didn't need to, such an impressive woman.

kukul-can.bsky.social•23 days ago

I don't like the CDU much but liked the "We can handle it" some years ago. Problem with Merkel she didn't follow up with much action actually handling it. A huge effort for integration, quick asylum proceedings and putting those migrants to work was needed, but did not happen.

zelwinters1981.bsky.social•23 days ago

In hindsight, I can see why she stepped down as Chancellor.

flamingstar59.bsky.social•23 days ago

Danke, Dr. Merkel.

jeremycliffe.bsky.social•23 days ago

Aside from any electoral impact (many Germans view Merkel nostalgically, but times have changed and Merz wants to show CDU has too), something almost Shakespearean about AM confronting the man she outmanoeuvred 23 years ago just as he's finally on the brink of power...

sloanea.bsky.social•23 days ago

I don't agree with the nostalgia about Angela Merkel. I never voted for her, but I found the CDU more "progressive" under her leadership.

chrisperisteri.bsky.social•23 days ago

One other interesting aspect of yesterday, is the role of the Liberals. It is remarkable how inconspicuous they have become, despite being part of the bloc that voted with the AfD. This might have been the kiss of death for their chances to reenter the Bundestag

dottyloug.bsky.social•23 days ago

She should have piped up much earlier. Certainly way before yesterday's Bundestag-Session. And I doubt very much that her statement will have much of an electoral impact, tbh.

telson.bsky.social•23 days ago

You have to choose the right moment to open fire.
Gotta be close to the election but not TOO close.

dottyloug.bsky.social•23 days ago

I doubt it's going to make one iota of a difference now. The CDU has moved too close to eh "A"fD - whoever agrees with their ideologies will probably rather vote the latter (ie the original) than the former.

jeezoh.bsky.social•23 days ago

Agree. I doubt the opinion polls with shift at all.

biberax.bsky.social•23 days ago

ralasdair.bsky.social•23 days ago

She did it in such a “Merkelian” way though. I wonder whether that limits its impact, as opposed to had she eg. done a front page interview with newspaper (although I guess that takes time to set up).

zetaof1.bsky.social•23 days ago

While I agree with her in the matter at hand, I liked it more when former chancellors said they would stay out of commenting of politics. Schmidt never made such statements. He would comment on the big lines, but not daily politics. Admittedly hard to tell which it is here, but still.

lumidaub.bsky.social•23 days ago

If this isn't "big", I don't know what is.

flamingstar59.bsky.social•23 days ago

I would argue that yesterday's events should be seen as a serious mistake and part of a bigger line

ratjohnny.bsky.social•23 days ago

What could possibly be bigger than Germany of all places on the verge of sliding into faschism?

beingchrisfischer.bsky.social•23 days ago

What do you mean "accuse", he said he wouldn't and then he did. And the fascists laughed at him right there in parliament. 🤦🏻‍♂️

telson.bsky.social•23 days ago

She's telling it like it is.
I'm happy for her knifing an an old adversary and serving the cause of good and right at the same time.

pericles261.bsky.social•22 days ago

So says the woman who closed Nuclear Power Plants to burn more fossil fuels.🤣🤪

thinkitthrough.bsky.social•23 days ago

She's great.

mlgirling.bsky.social•23 days ago

It's as if the CDU didn't learn anything from the last Dutch election, with the VVD under new leadership softening their stance towards Wilders' PVV and thereby boosting his acceptability and vote share. Unless the CDU wants to go into coalition with the AFD, like VVD has done so with the PVV...

telson.bsky.social•23 days ago

Good for her!

merkmich.bsky.social•23 days ago

We may have forgotten over Christmas, but he promised two month ago something he broke yesterday.

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