What families expect of the next German government

DW (English)

Inflation and the country's economic slowdown have diminished Germans' purchasing power. DW spoke with two families about what measures they want to see from the incoming government.

Transcript

00:00What do a single father in Thuringia and a family from Munich have in common?

00:05Where do they differ? What are their concerns ahead of the German election?

00:09It turns out they're worlds apart.

00:12Sunday afternoon at the Schoenbachs in Zeilenrode, a small town in central Germany's Thuringia region.

00:19Uwe Schoenbach is raising his 15-year-old son alone.

00:23Balancing work and parenting as a mechanical engineer isn't easy.

00:29When kids are younger, you have to handle everything by yourself.

00:34When they get sick, you're fully responsible.

00:39You constantly have to figure out how to juggle it all with a full-time job.

00:46Jan-Peter Schoenbach, a 10th grader, has learned to work independently.

00:51But school isn't always smooth sailing, and he has clear demands on the next government.

00:57I remember days when we had no school because there were no teachers, because they were sick.

01:02I want us to be more involved.

01:06Over to Munich, just a few hundred kilometers away.

01:10Of the three Leopold children, only 18-year-old Tomek still lives at home.

01:15His siblings have already left for university or work.

01:19The family is financially secure and bought their apartment a few years ago.

01:25Dirk Leopold is an engineer, and his wife Anna an accountant.

01:29Since the pandemic, both have worked from home.

01:32They don't worry about money, but they still have political concerns.

01:40The housing market, absolutely, especially for young people.

01:44Finding an affordable apartment is nearly impossible.

01:48And in the last few years, youth unemployment has also risen.

01:53It's not easy to find a job after graduation.

02:01I'm tired of hearing politicians talking about cutting bureaucracy.

02:07They keep saying it's necessary, but nothing ever changes.

02:16Back in Thuringia, the economy is struggling, and Uwe Schoenbach is feeling it.

02:21His company doesn't have enough orders, so he's working reduced hours.

02:26He designs industrial machinery, but many companies are now cutting jobs.

02:36I'm extremely worried.

02:38When I talk to customers and suppliers, they all say the same thing.

02:42Things have never been this bad.

02:48The decline continues.

02:50The automotive and mechanical engineering industries are in crisis.

02:54Everyone is struggling.

03:00In Munich, Germany's wealthiest city, there are few visible signs of the economic downturn.

03:06But even Tomek, the youngest Leopold, is concerned.

03:10He just started an apprenticeship and hopes to move out one day.

03:15I don't know if I'll stay in Munich.

03:19Housing is so expensive.

03:21I'm not sure how I'll manage on my salary, if I can afford it at all.

03:30Back in Soylenroder.

03:32This region in the former East is considered structurally weak.

03:36Many lost their jobs after reunification and moved away.

03:41Uwe Schoenbach tries to spend as much time as possible with his son.

03:45Their Sunday walks have become a ritual.

03:49What concerns me the most is that something needs to be done for single parents.

03:55That legislation needs to consider them too.

03:58And especially that people think about what happens in old age.

04:03This affects me deeply because I can't set aside much for retirement.

04:08What will happen to me when I'm old?

04:12The Leopolds in Munich enjoy regular cafe visits.

04:16Their children are grown, employed and independent.

04:20They take vacations abroad several times a year.

04:23But they also have big expectations for the next government.

04:30Invest, invest, invest.

04:33In everything that's been neglected for the last 15 years.

04:39In infrastructure, education, the internet, new ideas, new technologies, everything.

04:50And of course becoming independent from China.

04:53Establishing a stable, self-sufficient Europe.

04:57Especially in relation to the US and Trump.

05:01That would be a very important point for me.

05:08The Schoenbachs might be less well-off than the Leopolds.

05:11But both families know exactly what they want from the next government.

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