The chancellor-candidates and the campaign

Abstract

The 'presidentialisation' of recent federal elections has made the selection and performance of the 'chancellor-candidates' for the SPD and CDU/CSU an increasingly important factor in German electoral politics. In the 2002 election, the chancellor-candidates assumed an unusually prominent role as their leadership and media skills were tested by the key events of the campaign, in particular the 'flood of the century' (Jahrhundertflut) and the Iraq question. This article explores the leadership race from the selection of the chancellor-candidates and their handling of the campaign to the dramatic photo-finish and campaign post-mortems. It examines the institutional context in which the campaign strategies were hatched and developed; the profiles and tactics of the two key players: Schrder and Stoiber; and press and public evaluation of their performance. In conclusion, it asks to what extent the 2002 election campaign has changed the perception and role of chancellor-candidates in federal contests.