In a historically unprecedented development, today the Christian Democratic candidate Friedrich Merz was unexpectedly not elected Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, in the first ballot for the position. This is the first time this has happened in the Federal Republic’s history. Eighteen members of parliament from the planned CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic Union of Germany/Christian Social Union in Bavaria) and SPD (Social Democratic Party of Germany) coalition did not vote for him. This slap in the face is more than deserved for this capitalist lackey, who is hostile to workers, women and migrants, and we cannot help but smile.
None of the dissenters revealed themselves. We can can only speculate whether the refusal to vote came from career-hungry conservative politicians who had hoped for a position in the cabinet but were not considered by Merz; whether it was protest from within the CDU/CSU against the watering down of the ‘debt brake’; or protest from SPD MPs with a remnant of social democratic conscience.
Ultimately, that is secondary. The fact is what counts. Today makes Friedrich Merz the weakest chancellor in the history of the republic. The CDU/CSU and SPD coalition is a potential government that is already in crisis before it has even taken office. After all, the poll ratings for the two prospective governing parties have been steadily declining since the federal election in February.
Those who are now concerned about the new government’s ability to govern and its stability, such as the Greens, are concerned about the stability of the continued exploitation of the working class, the ongoing war policy and militarisation, and the racist migration policy. Workers, left activists and trade unionists should rejoice: it will be a few more days before refugees are illegally deported at the borders, war criminal Netanyahu is invited to Germany, despite an international arrest warrant, and the planned attacks on the eight-hour working day and on social benefits can be implemented. But these attacks will come, no matter when and with what majority Merz becomes chancellor – unless trade unions and Die Linke (the Left Party) understand today as a wake-up call to go on the offensive against the not-yet-government.
They should immediately launch a campaign and call for protests that make it clear that not only Merz must go, but also the policies he and the coalition agreement stand for.
Some will say that new elections would strengthen the right populist Alternative für Deutschland (Alternative for Germany). That may be true. But Die Linke would also be further strengthened. Also, the AfD will be even stronger after one, two, three or four years of a Merz-Klingbeil coalition.
The task now is to exert maximum pressure so that the future government, whoever leads it, has as little leeway as possible to take measures against the interests of the working class. That is why trade unions and Die Linke must not participate in the debate about concerns over instability, but should make it clear that the stability the bourgeois parties and media are talking about is the stability of capitalist class rule. It is the task of trade unions and the left to ensure a different kind of stability: stable resistance from the working class against Merz, this designated government and its planned policies, and for policies in the interests of workers and the socially disadvantaged. These policies include higher wages and lower rents, against militarisation and war policies, for higher taxes on profits and wealth, against racism and all forms of discrimination.
If the working class were mobilised around such demands by the trade unions and Die Linke, this would be the best way not only to weaken Merz and his planned coalition, but also to take the wind out of the AfD’s sails.