A Citrus Ussie

A photo of Tuesday night went viral on the Internet, and Red Baron learned a new word, ussie.

A green-yellow or citrus ussie

The ussie of Green candidate for chancellor Annalena Baerbock, her co-leader Robert Habeck, Free Democrat (Liberals) Leader Christian Lindner, and his Secretary General Volker Wissing was taken at a neutral location following their meeting and posted on the Instagram accounts of the three gentlemen and the lady.

Although the four used different optical filters - Lindner and Baerbock tending to red (!) - the text published on the four Instagram accounts was the same, "In the search for a new government, we explore common grounds and bridges over dividing lines. And even find some. Exciting times. "

Remember the results of last Sunday's federal election? The two Volksparteien (popular parties) shrunk to around 25 %. Neither the Social nor the Christian Democrats can govern the country without forming a coalition with smaller parties sitting in the newly elected Bundestag (parliament).

The only two possible partners are the Greens and the Free Democrats. However, the differences in their party platforms are considerable. While the Greens, e.g., are inclined toward a government-led policy on climate protection, the Liberals would like to leave those mitigating measures to the free play of the market economy. That's why the two "chancellor-making" parties met already last Tuesday night ahead of coalition negotiations with the major parties to first sound out common grounds for a Jamaica or traffic light coalition.

The memes on the Internet abounded.

Who is that rock band?

The Greens and Free Democrats had more success with young and first-time voters than the Christian and Social Democrats.

Making the Greens and Free Democrats more attractive to the older generation.

The specter of a Jamaica coalition.

Christian Democrat for chancellor Armin Laschet as photobomb. According to recent polls, only 22% of the voters like a three-party Jamaica coalition compared to 50% who prefer a traffic light coalition.

However, the latter is kein Selbstläufer (not self-implementing), as the following anecdote shows.

In the Hamburg state elections of 2015, the ecologists had high hopes that Katharina Fegebank of the Greens would become mayor instead of incumbent Olaf Scholz. They failed, but the Social Democrats lost the absolute majority and had to form a coalition government with the Greens. Before signing the agreement, Scholz said to the press, "We'll carry on as before, we now have a green annex, but no one has to worry. Upset, Katharina told him, "Olaf, don't say that again anywhere." He looked at her and said, "I don't have to say that a second time."

The success of the green-yellow citrus ussie led virologist, omni-attendee in talk shows, recent winner of the direct mandate for the Social Democrats in his constituency, and future minister of health in Olaf Scholz's government, Karl Lauterbach, to twitter an ussie with Christian Drosten, virologist, Germany's Fauci, national Corona podcaster, and recent recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic.

The text in allusion to the above band meme is, "Not a rock band, to be sure. But at least full of ideas how the 4th wave could wash over Germany as flat as possible." Both scientists know what they are talking about.

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