Merkel has been head of government for 16 years and is no longer running. Looking to the future of Europe without the federal government at the head of the federal government, which is considered the “most powerful woman in the world”, is a “big question” for Odendahl.
“As a person, she will leave a void as she was a highly respected leader and a sober and rational ruler. His successor will have to develop further in order to adapt to the role, ”he told the Lusa agency, as the SPD candidate, Olaf Scholz,“ was, in his experience, best positioned for it ”.
The CER chief economist still considers Merkel “not a visionary leader” because she “did not prepare Europe (and Germany) for some of the main issues of the 21st century”.
“She was mainly busy helping and guiding Europe through various crises. The pandemic recovery fund that she has sought will stand out economically in her legacy, ”he said.
As a negative point, the “approach to the euro crisis” is added, which is seen as “largely wrong”.
More than the results of the September 26 elections and knowledge of the victorious party, Germans’ interest is centered on understanding the possible blueprints of a future coalition that could form a government.
In 2017, negotiations to reach consensus lasted almost half a year, with the Liberals breaking the discussions halfway through. This time too, Christian Odendahl anticipates a process that can drag on.
“No bloc like the SPD with the ‘Greens’ or the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with the ‘Fdp’ liberals should get a majority on their own. It is therefore very likely that the Christmas speech on television will continue to be given by Angela Merkel, ”he emphasized.
The German economist believes that this should not be a problem, since the currently ruling “grand coalition” (consisting of CDU-CSU and SPD) “is well prepared to continue to lead the country for a few more months”.
“If it goes well beyond Christmas, German voters may be a little impatient, but the economy can easily handle lengthy coalition negotiations,” he said.
According to surveys of the last few days, the SPD is ahead of the CDU, Angela Merkel’s party. The parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 26th.
Newsbeezer.com
