Merkel Promises Austerity Abroad, Profligacy at Home

Just when it seemed as though German politicians were going to completely forget to campaign ahead of September elections, Angela Merkel has finally showed signs that she hopes to be re-elected this fall. Following months of essentially ignoring her political opponents, the chancellor on Monday presented her party’s campaign program and even deigned to launch what might be construed as an attack on her challengers.

“On Sept. 22, we must decide what direction we should take as a country,” she told supporters in Berlin during the presentation of the 127-page platform. At issue, she said, is whether the country continues down its current path of success, “or whether things go downhill” under a Social Democrat-Green Party governing coalition.

But according to her critics, and her main opponent, the platform that her Christian Democrats (CDU) presented on Monday together with their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), is little more than a package of expensive campaign promises that cannot be fulfilled.

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