Little relief for Germany's Laschet after first TV debate
Published: 03:08 PM,Aug 30,2021 | EDITED : 07:08 PM,Aug 30,2021
North Rhine-Westphalia's State Premier, CDU leader and candidate for chancellor Armin Laschet during a news conference in Berlin. - Reuters
BERLIN: The centre-right candidate to be German chancellor, Armin Laschet, was praised by his peers on Monday after the first live televised debate between the three candidates - but few commentators saw him gain ground on his main rival, Olaf Scholz from the Social Democrats (SPD).
Two of Laschet's fellow Christian Democrat (CDU) politicians and state premiers, Volker Bouffier in Hesse and Tobias Hans in Saarland, gave Laschet their support despite a snap poll which showed Laschet had not impressed a selection of viewers.
He had made a 'very good appearance,' Bouffier said. Despite the Forsa instant poll, Laschet would show that he had 'staying power,' Hans said.
The heated, but courteous, two-hour debate was watched by more than 5million people, broadcaster RTL said.
Laschet, whose poll numbers have slipped below Scholz's in the past week, went on the offensive at points, but Scholz's calm appearance left many convinced he could be the best bet to be Angela Merkel's successor in September's elections.
Germany's biggest-circulation daily, the Bild tabloid, announced on its front page on Monday that the debate was a 'clear victory' for Scholz and a 'debacle' for Laschet.
The paper cited the same poll by the Forsa institute, which found Scholz was regarded to have 'won' the debate by 36 per cent of those surveyed. The Green candidate, Annalena Baerbock, was seen as the winner by 30 per cent, while only 25 per cent put Laschet in front.
Commentators in several other dailies were more balanced on who came out on top, but agreed Laschet had not landed any particular blows.
If anything, said some commentators, it was most notable for being Germany's first ever three-way televised debate. In the past, only two candidates have had a realistic chance of becoming chancellor.
This year, with three parties all hovering around the 20-per-centmark, the outcome is more uncertain. Many observers expect Germany to have a three-party coalition including, for instance, two of the parties represented in the debate and a third smaller party.
The debate was 'a small, but important victory for democracy,' according to the Zeit online.
Meanwhile, the conservative candidate to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to pick five close allies to champion a key policy theme each in an effort to revive his campaign ahead of the September 26 election, party sources said on Monday.
Armin Laschet, leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), lost a heated televised debate with his two main rivals on Sunday, according to a snap poll, as surveys show his party falling behind the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). -dpa
Two of Laschet's fellow Christian Democrat (CDU) politicians and state premiers, Volker Bouffier in Hesse and Tobias Hans in Saarland, gave Laschet their support despite a snap poll which showed Laschet had not impressed a selection of viewers.
He had made a 'very good appearance,' Bouffier said. Despite the Forsa instant poll, Laschet would show that he had 'staying power,' Hans said.
The heated, but courteous, two-hour debate was watched by more than 5million people, broadcaster RTL said.
Laschet, whose poll numbers have slipped below Scholz's in the past week, went on the offensive at points, but Scholz's calm appearance left many convinced he could be the best bet to be Angela Merkel's successor in September's elections.
Germany's biggest-circulation daily, the Bild tabloid, announced on its front page on Monday that the debate was a 'clear victory' for Scholz and a 'debacle' for Laschet.
The paper cited the same poll by the Forsa institute, which found Scholz was regarded to have 'won' the debate by 36 per cent of those surveyed. The Green candidate, Annalena Baerbock, was seen as the winner by 30 per cent, while only 25 per cent put Laschet in front.
Commentators in several other dailies were more balanced on who came out on top, but agreed Laschet had not landed any particular blows.
If anything, said some commentators, it was most notable for being Germany's first ever three-way televised debate. In the past, only two candidates have had a realistic chance of becoming chancellor.
This year, with three parties all hovering around the 20-per-centmark, the outcome is more uncertain. Many observers expect Germany to have a three-party coalition including, for instance, two of the parties represented in the debate and a third smaller party.
The debate was 'a small, but important victory for democracy,' according to the Zeit online.
Meanwhile, the conservative candidate to succeed German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to pick five close allies to champion a key policy theme each in an effort to revive his campaign ahead of the September 26 election, party sources said on Monday.
Armin Laschet, leader of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), lost a heated televised debate with his two main rivals on Sunday, according to a snap poll, as surveys show his party falling behind the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD). -dpa