Angela Merkel’s election manifesto attempts to rebrand refugees / Merkel embarks on Germany’s ‘strangest’ campaign

Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) launched in July 2017 their joint manifesto for the 2017 German Federal Election. The manifesto programme was called For a Germany where we can live well and happily. The CDU campaign was characterised as soft-focus and centred on patriotism and incumbent German Chancellor Angela Merkel herself.

Serious election campaigning by Chancellor Merkel began after her summer holiday break with the first of a series of campaign speeches in Dortmund on the 12 August 2017.

ESO: Key Source: German federal election, 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/german-federal-election-2017/

Deutsche Welle, 03.07.17: Angela Merkel presents CDU election manifesto http://p.dw.com/p/2foRZ

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 17.07.17: German election campaign series: CDU/CSU – 'For a Germany in which we live well and enjoy living' http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/07/17/german-election-campaign-series-cdu-csu/

CDU/CSU: Manifesto 2017: Für ein Deutschland, in dem wir gut und gerne leben. Regierungsprogramm 2017 – 2021 https://www.cdu.de/system/tdf/media/dokumente/170703regierungsprogramm2017.pdf?file=1

Politico, 10.08.17: Merkel’s mellow campaign strategy: Avoid confrontation http://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-campaign-strategy-avoid-confrontation-germany-election-2017/

Euro|Topics: Debates, August 2017: How interesting will the German elections be? http://www.eurotopics.net/en/184285/how-interesting-will-the-german-elections-be

Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 21.08.17: The Misery of Germany’s Election Campaign http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/72865?lang=en

Politico, 12.08.17: Angela Merkel keeps her cool in campaign kickoff http://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-kicks-off-campaign-with-anti-campaign-speech/

Deutsche Welle, 12.08.17: Angela Merkel wows voters on opponent's home turf with predictability http://p.dw.com/p/2i7nX

The Local.de, 12.08.17: Merkel embarks on Germany's 'strangest' campaign https://www.thelocal.de/20170812/merkel-embarks-on-germanys-strangest-campaign

Politico, 22.09.17: [Forum]: The unknowable chancellor http://www.politico.eu/article/angela-merkel-the-unknowable-chancellor-germany/

Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 22.09.17: How Angela Merkel Has Redefined Leadership carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/?fa=73195

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