Dominika Langenmayr: Merz und Klingbeil dürfen jetzt nicht vor der AfD kuschen
Die empirische Forschung ist eindeutig. Ökonomische Unsicherheit erhöht die Wahrscheinlichkeit, populistische Parteien zu wählen. Ein Gastbeitrag.
The AfD secured 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt, a result the SPD leader Lars Klingbeil interpreted as a "signal to Berlin" to reconsider the federal government's reform course. However, Klingbeil cautioned against concluding that such a result mandates halting reforms. The electoral data reveals that 65% of voters who assessed their financial situation as poor chose the AfD.
Economic concerns clearly contributed to the AfD's success, but they are not the sole cause. Research indicates that economic uncertainty heightens the likelihood of voters opting for populist parties. Yet, this does not suggest that the federal government should withdraw reforms championed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD).
On the contrary, advancing economically challenging reforms is unavoidable to improve the economic situation. Germany's aging population will continue to increase expenditures on pensions, healthcare, and care, necessitating either higher contributions or greater funding for social security systems. Both options will burden growth: higher taxes diminish work incentives and increase the cost of employment, while larger state subsidies will reduce funds available for infrastructure or education.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
