Why the ‘China threat’ was barely mentioned in Germany’s latest state election

Baden-Wurttemberg stands on the front line of Germany’s “China shock 2.0”. A hub for carmakers including Mercedes-Benz, the region has faced a wave of job cuts over the past year as Chinese firms rapidly gain global market share. In the German media, some have warned the area risks becoming “Germany’s Detroit”.Yet despite the economic strain – and polls showing the economy was the top issue for local voters – China barely featured in campaigns during the run-up to Baden-Wurttemberg’s state election this past weekend.Millions of voters went to the polls, with the centre-left Green Party narrowly finishing first ahead of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) came third after making significant gains.For analysts, the relative absence of China as an issue during the election reflects Germany’s continued reluctance to confront Beijing more directly – a stance that contrasts with the mood in other European nations like France.“The debate is much more on what can we actually change ourselves instead of blaming China, because many have accepted that China has just very competitive and good products,” said Bernhard Bartsch, a China expert at the Berlin-based China-studies" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="18346" data-entity-type="organization">Mercator Institute for China Studies.“Politicians – especially at a regional level – cannot win much these days by pointing out how problems originate in China. People don’t want analysis, but solutions.”