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The German Election 2013

August 19, 2013

On 22 September, Germans go to the polls to elect a new parliament. Will Peer Steinbrück stop Angela Merkel from securing a third term in office? IN FOCUS will also take a look the key issues for the German electorate.

https://p.dw.com/p/19NlX
Image: DW




1. The Outspoken Challenger -Chancellor Candidate Peer Steinbrück

Peer Steinbrück is seen as an adept financial and political operator, a shrewd analyst and a brilliant and witty speaker. The Social Democrats think he is the best choice to run against Angela Merkel in September’s elections, and have nominated him as their candidate for the Chancellor’s office. But the first few months of his candidacy were littered with faux pas: his choice of advisors was seen as cack-handed, this was followed by disclosures about how much he earns from public speaking engagements and some imprudent statements about how much the Chancellor should be paid, expensive wines and Italian politicians. Since then, Steinbrück has become more careful but he still remains mired in the opinion poll doldrums along with his party. With only a few weeks to go before the elections the question is whether Steinbrück can manage to make up some ground in the race for the chancellor’s office. Does he have what it takes to challenge Angela Merkel? This report takes a look at both the politician and the private man.

Frankreich Deutschland Peer Steinbrück in Paris
SPD Candidate for the Chancellor’s Office Peer SteinbrückImage: ERIC FEFERBERG/AFP/Getty Images


Broadcasting Hours:

DW

THU 05.09.2013 – 22:15 UTC
FRI 06.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC
FRI 06.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC
FRI 06.09.2013 – 17:15 UTC
SAT 07.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 07.09.2013 – 10:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4

DW (Europe)

FRI 06.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
FRI 06.09.2013 – 17:15 UTC
SAT 07.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC
SAT 07.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC

London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +4

DW (Arabia)

FRI 06.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC
SAT 07.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 07.09.2013 – 11:15 UTC

Tunis UTC +1 | Cairo UTC + 2 | Dubai UTC +4

DW (Asien)

THU 05.09.2013 – 22:15 UTC

Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8

DW (Amerika)

FRI 06.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3

2. Power Broker - Eight Years as German Chancellor

Angela Merkel has been German Chancellor since 2005. Over her eight years in office, she has tackled the job with a high degree of discipline – in fact, she could be said to function as reliably as a Swiss watch. Merkel currently enjoys almost unprecedented approval ratings in the opinion polls - in particular, her crisis management during the Euro crisis has been highly praised. But her popularity has come at some political cost: the threat of German isolation within Europe, and a growing distance from her own party, the CDU, at home. Some of the coalition government’s big projects such as the u-turn on energy policy are not getting off the ground. The CDU boasts few other political heavyweights, so she seems to be battling for a third term almost singlehanded. The documentary takes stock of Angela Merkel’s time in office.

Wahlkampf Angela Merkel in Seligenstadt
Chancellor Angela MerkelImage: Reuters


Broadcasting Hours:

DW

THU 12.09.2013 – 22:15 UTC
FRI 13.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC
FRI 13.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC
FRI 13.09.2013 – 17:15 UTC
SAT 14.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 14.09.2013 – 10:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4

DW (Europe)

FRI 13.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
FRI 13.09.2013 – 17:15 UTC
SAT 14.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC
SAT 14.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC

London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +4

DW (Arabia)

FRI 13.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC
SAT 14.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 14.09.2013 – 11:15 UTC

Tunis UTC +1 | Cairo UTC + 2 | Dubai UTC +4

DW (Asien)

THU 12.09.2013 – 22:15 UTC

Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8

DW (Amerika)

FRI 13.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3


3. Promises, Promises...

Do Chancellor Angela Merkel or opposition leader Peer Steinbrück want the same things as the German voters? Are politicians and the people they are talking to on the same wavelength? Promises, Promises ...tackles all these questions and more. It doesn’t just report from the perspective of the world of policymakers but also looks at what normal people need and how politicians try to meet these needs. What do voters expect from the candidates for the chancellor’s office? Thisdocumentary joins three families who are also keen to get answers to take an informative and entertaining look at some of the contenders’ proposals. What are campaign promises, what is the true substance of these pledges and how plausible are they? And which candidates do the families think is most likely to address their demands?

Wahlkampf Angela Merkel in Ludwigshafen
What do the voters think of the contenders?Image: picture-alliance/dpa


Broadcasting Hours:

DW

THU 19.09.2013 – 22:15 UTC
FRI 20.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC
FRI 20.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC
FRI 20.09.2013 – 17:15 UTC
SAT 21.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 21.09.2013 – 10:15 UTC

Cape Town UTC +2 | Delhi UTC +5,5 | Hong Kong UTC +8
San Francisco UTC -7 | Edmonton UTC -6 | New York UTC -4

DW (Europe)

FRI 19.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
FRI 19.09.2013 – 17:15 UTC
SAT 20.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC
SAT 20.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC

London UTC +1 | Berlin UTC +2 | Moscow UTC +4

DW (Arabia)

FRI 19.09.2013 – 13:15 UTC
SAT 20.09.2013 – 04:15 UTC
SAT 20.09.2013 – 11:15 UTC

Tunis UTC +1 | Cairo UTC + 2 | Dubai UTC +4

DW (Asien)

THU 19.09.2013 – 22:15 UTC

Delhi UTC +5,5 | Bangkok UTC +7 | Hong Kong UTC +8

DW (Amerika)

FRI 13.09.2013 – 06:15 UTC

Vancouver UTC -7 | New York UTC -4 | Sao Paulo UTC -3