A first comment on the outcome of the German election

By: Hatto Fischer, Athens

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Many people were surprised that the outcome of the election held one year earlier underlined more indecision than giving any of the parties elected a clear mandate when it comes to forming the next government. That is an interesting proposition the voters made to the politicians. It means their languages were not clear enough even though over simplification did play a role in what the media confused as being an issue of market reform or a reform of a bureaucratic system no longer able to uphold old privileges while coming to terms with the 5 million unemployed. So everyone will have to think twice before continuing on this speculative path as to what reforms are meant by whom.

It was, for example, strange to hear Merkel from the CDU speaking about reform when in fact she meant giving the market everything business people want, namely greater certainty that they can continue raking in enormously high profits at all social costs. If catering to business in such single way can be called reform, then this spin on things would mean black is white or vice versa. So one positive outcome of this election is a demasking of the term ‘reform’. That should set the stage for real political negotiations about the next phases of governance, and here there are clearly some alternatives to a mere pro business orientation.

For instance, let the people participate in the decision making not in the form of co-determination at factory level, but developing their ideas about reform themselves. In some ways Bill Clinton did that with his economic forums when he came to power and in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina everyone recognizes all of a sudden that he had the ability at the same time to appoint people with competence to sensitive jobs such as the director FEMA, the Federal Emergency Agency. When compared to Bush who had advocated a ‘culture of responsibility’ that too turned out to be a spin since he meant in reality appointing his own pals to these sensitive jobs but then once the crisis like Hurricane Katrina struck, their incompetence and lack of responsibility were exposed.

So people clearly don’t want a disqualification of those in need to take up responsible positions. If that sense of correcting political influence upon decision making processes in society will prevail after these elections, then the building of a coalition will not be so difficult. It will mean, however, that the task to make politics responsible to the people is the real challenge lying ahead. Here Schroeder seems to have stirred more deeper than anyone the emotions of people realizing that in a global situation other forms of responsibilities must be allowed to form themselves in order to remind the market it should serve people’s needs and not vice versa.

 

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