MARTIN: What about issues? I mean, are there some specific issues that people really care about in this election?
SCHMITZ: Absolutely. The economy is the big one. The country's emerging from a pandemic. It's had a big impact on everyone but more so in this election than past ones. And then also climate change has emerged as an important issue for many Germans. You might remember this summer, when parts of Western Germany were suddenly flooded, and180 people died because of a natural disaster that was blamed on a changing climate. And that's had a big impact on people here, and each of the top three parties are emphasizing climate change measures in their platforms, especially the Greens.
MARTIN: And before I let you go, just a question of Europe - Angela Merkel is sort of the de facto leader for Europe. I mean...
SCHMITZ: Right.
MARTIN: Is that a factor in this campaign?
SCHMITZ: Yeah. I think one of Merkel's many legacies is that she has set expectations for her country that Germany, as Europe's largest economy, must be a leader in Europe and that it must show that leadership to keep the EU together. And each of the front-running parties agrees with that notion, so yes, it's been a very big factor in this election.
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