Will Germany’s parties come up with the goods?

August 2008

One thing the Germans will have in abundance next year: elections. 2009 sees the general election where Angela Merkel will be defending her generally successful four-year chancellorship as well as several important state elections.  Both partners in the Berlin Grand Coalition, the Conservative CDU and the Social Democratic SPD, are desperately trying to establish issues on which they can attract voters.  

There are two highlights of the summer theatre of political point-scoring. On energy issues, the CDU is trying to use the rise of oil and gas prices as a justification for pushing further the nuclear energy option, The SPD, for its part, is targeting the subject of the minimum wage, on the grounds that an ever greater number of the population is falling behind in the poverty stakes. 

Neither of these issues musters much enthusiasm; indeed, it is somewhat depressing that, on both questions, the main parties have already fought many skirmishes without resolving anything. The Germans have shown their negative views on nuclear energy in many previous elections, giving the Greens consistently solid backing over the years. A recent polls shows a change of emphasis: there is now a majority support for extending the life cycle of existing nuclear power plants, but this hardly adds up to compelling backing for nuclear energy per se. Underlying strong scepticism about the safety of nuclear power makes it unlikely that the CDU will ever turn this issue into an election winner.  

The minimum wage is also not an issue that will draw millions of voters to the SPD. Even within specific industrial areas where most supporters would be expected, there is only lukewarm backing. 

The parties manifestly need a new approach on energy, perhaps the most powerful subject of all. But how should they go about generating it? Former US Vice President Al Gore, who has become America’s best-renowned Green advocate, has recommended a 10 year effort to recast US energy policy, based on a balanced mix of renewable energy,  nuclear energy, and systematic energy saving. This is a programme worthy of emulation in Europe – including Germany. 

Energy saving needs to take a much greater priority.  Japan, for example, is already banning stand-by functions of electronic devices, and improving standards to illustrate how much energy such products waste. Germany and other countries are lagging behind. The CDU would be well advised to launch a Gore-like energy saving plan, equipped with accompanying measures such as economic incentives and tax breaks, and link it to the nuclear option.  

More imagination, too, is needed on the issue of low wages: rather than pressing home the unattractive minimum wage issue, the SPD would do better to advocate a substantial lowering of tax on low wage employees – a better method of improving incomes than relying on social handouts and welfare transfers. 

Both main parties need more courage and flair in formulating their policies. With only a few months left before electioneering starts in earnest, they have little time to find the right ingredients.