"Democracy is being squeezed from two sides"
After US-President Biden's weak performance in the TV debate, the chances of Donald Trump winning the presidency in the USA are growing, according to the guests on Maybrit Illner's show. They express concerns about the dangers of a second term for the Republican and the risk of other nationalists.
The likelihood is high that Donald Trump will win the presidential elections in the USA, fear the guests on Maybrit Illner's show. None of them identify as Trump supporters. The debate in the ZDF talkshow follows a disastrous TV duel between US-President Joe Biden and his challenger Donald Trump in the past week. Biden was sometimes incomprehensible, hoarse, stammered, lost the thread, and spoke incoherently. The White House only recently denied a withdrawal of Biden as a presidential candidate - a public debate about potential replacement candidates and candidates is still raging.
One possibility could be US Vice President Kamala Harris. CNN reporter Fred Pleitgen discusses this. "She is at least nationally known in the US, but she has the problem that she hasn't really managed to profile herself as Vice President in the last three and a half years," Pleitgen says. As Vice President, Harris has been relatively quiet. If it turns out that Biden has to give up, she could be an option. But this decision would have to be made by Biden himself, Pleitgen says. However, it depends on many factors. Financing for the campaign could be stopped, donations could dry up, prominent Democrats could oppose Biden.
To Biden's poor showing in the recent television debate against Trump, the Democrats have been dealt another shock, explains Constanze Stelzenmüller from the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington. "The Democrats had hoped that the courts would take their opponent away from them. But that's obviously not the case after the Supreme Court's recent decision." The Supreme Court had also granted former presidents a wide immunity a few days ago. Stelzenmüller says: "This strengthens Trump's position, according to the general consensus."
"I suspect Putin clapped himself on the thighs when he saw Biden's weakness"
In the talkshow, Moderator Illner also wants to know from her guests how big the danger is from right-wing populists and nationalists. Regarding Biden's weak performance in the TV debate and the possibility of a Trump victory, political scientist Daniela Schwarzer from the Bertelsmann Foundation says: "I suspect Putin clapped himself on the thighs when he saw Biden's weakness." Trump has announced that he will speak with Russian President Putin before his potential inauguration and end the war in Ukraine. "That appeals to the dictators of this world, and Putin is one of them," the political scientist says.
However, even if Biden is re-elected as US President, it is unclear how decisively he will lead his office and how strongly he will hold on to it. "From the perspective of those who have an interest in weakening the USA and above all weakening democracy in the USA, this is a found treasure."
SPD Foreign Politician Michael Roth expresses concern about the consequences for Europe with a possible second term for Trump. Without Biden, it would be difficult for Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, according to SPD Foreign Politician Michael Roth. This applies to other politicians in the West as well. In the last four years, for example, we have relied on the United States for support in Ukraine.
"I am so angry that we couldn't present ourselves as Europeans in the past few months and take more responsibility for our own security and stability," criticizes Roth. We have rather delegated responsibility and hoped it wouldn't get that bad. And now we see that there is a possibility of another Trump presidency. And that means we will be on our own in Europe.
Roth believes this will be a long and arduous way, especially for liberal democracies. "We also have to sell this message to our own populations. We need acceptance." The message must be: We must become more defiant and invest more money in security and defense.
Three days after the TV duel in the USA, the far-right Rassemblement National achieved a clear victory in the pre-term parliamentary elections in France. Although political analyst Daniela Schwarzer of the Bertelsmann Foundation does not expect the party of Marine Le Pen to win an absolute majority in the upcoming Sunday runoff, it could potentially become the next Minister President. Roth points out in this context that democracies are not only threatened by right-wing and populist parties. Regarding the new left alliance "Popular Front" in France, he says: "We have a Mr. Mélenchon, an antisemite, an anti-European, a Germany hater, someone who sets himself on nationalist, populist politics. This is a politician from whom a great danger emanates. And this clearly shows: This liberal democracy is being squeezed from both sides."
"Röttgen: 'Fight too much'"
In Germany, there is a danger to democracy primarily from the partially extremist AfD, as the guests agree. How the democratic parties should react to this, believe CDU Foreign Politician Norbert Röttgen and Roth. Roth demands: "It must be governed well, and right now we are arguing too much." In addition, he makes it clear that the warnings against the AfD no longer bear fruit. "Many people see the AfD as a normal party where there is no longer a reason to be afraid. We must confront them with content."
And Röttgen demands: "It would be wise if every party chairman once reflected on what we could do better so that the breeding ground for this party becomes smaller. And I believe everyone would find something."
The concerns about a potential second term for Donald Trump in the US presidential election 2024 escalate, given Biden's rocky performance in debates and the growing support for Trump among the public. This could have significant implications for the US-France relationship, as the far-right Rassemblement National celebrated a victory in France's pre-term parliamentary elections.
If Biden fails to deliver a strong performance in future debates or faces potential withdrawal from the 2024 race, Vice President Kamala Harris could emerge as a possible candidate. However, her silence as Vice President and the potential challenges of financing and Democrat opposition could deter her campaign.
Biden's poor performance in the recent television debate against Trump could also pose challenges for European leaders like Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz. If Trump were to win another term, this could potentially lead to a weakening of the US and a shrinking of its role in supporting Europe's security and stability, as Roth expresses his concern.
