German Election

The Germans are having a federal election this weekend.Merkel looks set to be chancellor again. The only question is which other party she will have to be in coalition with.As the economic engine of Western Europe Germany's electoral decision is potentially quite important to the European and world economy.But how much coverage is this getting in the English speaking Western world? In the UK it's on the news but hardly a hot topic. I'd imagine it gets barely a mention in the US....? (correct me if I'm wrong)How important is this election and how much do EvC members know/care about it?

Despite not voting in them I am guessing that you still have reasonable awareness of who wins US presidential elections....?Possibly UK ones as well? Maybe even French?But, despite the fact that Germany is one of the most economically significant countries it's main governemnt-deciding election seems to barely register.

The point - As much as there is a point here - Is that given it's role in the world economy, the impact that EU economic policies forged in Germany potentially have on us all, the level of disinterest is itself quite note-worthy.Whilst I am sure that there are even Germans in Germany who don't know or care much about their own election as a result of ignorance, apathy or both we are talking here about EvC members who are a bunch of people who regularly spend their time debating philosophical and political issues. Yet even most of us couldn't give a toss.In world terms it was an important election with potentially far reaching ramifications. In terms of taking an interest in it, few outside Germany seem to give a hoot.It's that disconnect that I think is comment worthy.

I get the impression that many wouldn't know who Merkel is. Do you think the level of interest would have been radically different if she wasn't standing again?

It depends.The EU is the largest trading bloc in the world, the Euro is an international currency second only to the US dollar and Germany largely dictates economic policy.In terms of elections and the effect they have on world economics arguably only the US is more significant.

That the US economy is more significant doesn't make the effect of economic policies forged in Germany insignificant to the world economy. Not even to Americans.Whether Germany sets Europe on a course of massive fiscal stimulus or a raging austerity has effects.

I'm not sure it was your approval that was being sought or even considered....It's the disinterest Do Americans think that economic policies pursued in europe have no real effect on the state of the US economy and thus their domestic situation? Is that the dosconnect?Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.

It's more a case of effects at the macro-economic level. Inflation, unemployment, value of the dollar, exports, imports -That sort of thing.Do people think these things have no effect on their lives? Do they think elections outside the US have no effect on these things?Is the connection with people's daily lives just too abstract to garner people's attention?

Obviously if one knows nothing about something they will find it unpredictable.Those who are interested in any political event are usually interested on the basis of wondering what effect different outcomes might have.Thus the interest would take the form of reading newspaper articles etc. that explore the consequences of different results. That sort of thing.If one isn't interested enough to take that sort of interest then being unable to predict the effects seems more like a consequence of disinterest than a cause of it.

On that basis it's barely worth anyone investigating policies in any election or ever voting for anything.There is a case for that and based on your posts in this thread I'm guessing that is not too far from your position on these matters.

Yeah you are probably right. I, like you, am a bit of a sad-hobbyist with regard to taking an interest in these things.But it does surprise me a bit when the reaction to a political event somewhere as significant as Germany is treated as just an inconsequential irrelevance by most of the rest of the world.The rest of the world takes a pretty keen interest in US elections for example. And the general assumption is that this interest is based on the wider effect a US election outcome will have on the world.But the same doesn't seem to apply to the election under discussion. Maybe language is a factor (it's not in English so the English speaking world ignores it). Maybe people don't think Germany is as significant in world terms as you and I seem to consider it to be. I dunno.

CS said he doesn't vote in US elections either.....

Have you read Message 47Anyway - This idea that any election one doesn't personally get to vote in obviously disqualifies one from having an interest in it's outcome is just silly.Why do you think the US election gets so much media coverage around the world?You must find that very perplexing......

Why do you think the US election gets so much media coverage around the world?

OK. But that suggests that Germany as the policy maker for the Euro, lead country in the largest trading bloc in the world and the 4th largest economy doesn't matter globally.If that's the reason for disinterest then I think it underestimates Germany's world economic influence and overstates the US's as the be-all-and-end-all.Germany matters in global economic terms.