General debate in the Bundestag: tutoring students who are capable of learning

T he AfD has won an election and sees itself on the road to victory - but the Chancellor is at least showing resilience. Friedrich Merz’s performance in the general debate in the Bundestag was not bad. He had to react - according to protocol - to AfD leader Alice Weidel, but did not remain defensive, but was able to make it clear that he stands for something.

When it came to Ukraine (we stand by it), security (do we need more, it will be expensive), growth and social reforms (both on the way), Merz set the punch lines in such a way that other parties could basically agree with him, even if not everyone was able to applaud. Merz called climate protection in the same breath as civil protection and attacked the AfD for denying climate change. Remigration, he said, was synonymous with “ethnic cleansing”; The AfD fantasies would paralyze businesses in crafts, care, health and gastronomy.

Now a successful speech does not make up for a failed government. Merz's admission that he made mistakes does not compensate for a year and a half of condescending, know-it-all communication. Everyone to the Chancellor's left can see that no social warmth will emerge from a social cuts program - no matter how many emotions Merz promises to show.

After the elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there is a threat of an AfD government for the first time. The taz reports what is at stake - and who is now defending democracy. All texts about the series can be found here.

However, in his appearances since the Saxony-Anhalt election, Merz has expressed more will than before to hold the Federal Republic store together. He is also seeking approval beyond his Rotary Club and business circles, which are already angry because they don't receive enough tax and other gifts. It is quite possible that Merz is seeking the support he has lost within his own ranks with a firewall speech for the firewall parties.

The CDU has long been openly blaspheming him. The deposition plans circulating are not an artifact of the media. The fact that North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst is now speaking contrary to the Chancellor about a ban on the AfD - albeit very clumsily - can be understood to mean that Wüst would certainly like to get much more involved at the federal level soon.

The taz is an independent, left-wing and opinionated daily newspaper. We have been arguing in our comments, essays and debate texts since the taz was founded in 1979. We often cannot and do not want to agree on an opinion. That's why you'll find some completely opposing positions here - all part of the very broad left-wing spectrum of opinions.

That's probably why it's now too late for the Chancellor's big democratic integration gesture. The first narrow-minded reactions of the coalition parties on the evening of the Saxony-Anhalt election spoke volumes: in both the CDU/CSU and the SPD, everyone continues to only look at themselves, no one looks at the whole. Whatever Merz does, the government parties have not yet met the challenge posed by the rise of a fascist party.