Hurry up, get your picks in for the vote that will stop the globe in its tracks. (Clue: involves the world's fourth largest economy). If you don't know what nation is being referenced, then you need to get out more, alternatively volunteer for a psychiatric evaluation. Only 20 sleeps (if you believe in resting your eyes) left until we find out the makeup of the Bundestag (all 598 seats), and of course, the successor to one of the great (if not the greatest since the creation of democracy in 508 B.C.) technocrat leaders of our generation, Angela Dorothea Merkel (Chancellor since 22/11/2005).
Remember, even if you don't have any tax obligation to Deutschland or have any DNA connections to the Germanic people, you still need to block out your calendar (starting 26/9/20222) and devote all your attention to this election, once the final tally is in you're allowed to get back to normal life, whatever that means. Here's the Who's Who (and the parties) of the Deutschland vote MMXXI. One of the following will soon lead the Black, Red and Gold (tip: if you have some extra cash lying around, back the candidate born on 15/12/1980).Armin Laschet - CDU/CSU (Christian democracy)
Olaf Scholz - SDP (Social democracy)*
Alice Weidel/Tino Chrupalla - AfD (right-wing populism)
Christian Lindner - FDP (Classical liberalism)
Janine Wissler/Dietmar Bartsch - Left (Democratic socialism)
Annalena Baerbock - Alliance 90/The Greens (Green politics)
*Front runner to form government (to think the polls gave SDP a 1% chance in early August), currently trending at 33% - who said German elections aren't sexy? This outcome will likely form a 'traffic-light' coalition with the FDP and Greens.
The German electoral system is a great fusion of proportional representation and first-past-the-post voting. Basically, it's the best system going around to stop buffoons from taking power (you can thank their dark past for ensuring they never go there again). Think about it, Merkel governed under the conservative umbrella, but in the US she would be more progressive than even some Democrats, she could easily be elected as Governor of Rhode Island. Germans don't have time for medieval conservative thinking, hence why the Greens have won state elections and have been part of governing coalitions at a federal level.
Anyone one of the above would be a sane choice, although, the AfD is clearly the worst, they're more palatable than any dinglebat in the GOP (and I include the so-called more open-minded types from Massachusetts). Sorry to mention Uncle Sam, this piece is not about the nation with the world's 30th best healthcare, but about the one with the 17th best. (For those of you playing that classic trivia game: where is the best place to get sick).
I'm no ageist, but oldies have a good run running (ruining) nations. So many small nations are going with young female leaders, god bless Finland (is there a better nation earth) and their PM, Sanna Marin born 16/11/1985. The time has come for a G-7 nation to be led by the fairer sex, one that was in nappies when one of the great songs of all-time was hitting the airwaves, In The Air Tonight (Phil Collins).
For those who have the privilege of casting a vote, I envy you. The other earthlings, not lucky enough, sit back, and take in a real democracy at work. Many of us own/use at least one German product, we also make contributions via its many retail brands, and don't forget the engineering prowess that they have given the world, you could be relying on it as you read. So as they say in the classics: we're all Germans (the kind that evolved after 1945).
