I fell in love with German politics yesterday!
Maybe I am being naive and star-struck because I am not used to seeing this level of civil discourse between two top party leaders before a national election, but it was a pure delight to watch the debate live yesterday. I come from India, where democracy lost its nuance a long time ago, and we recently got to see the horrible US presidential debates and the hostile aftermath. I have to say, watching a debate like this as an outsider, where both the candidates and the panellists were so well informed, extremely civil, rational and graceful, and ready to accept when they didn't know enough or were being proved wrong, I really felt the power and beauty of a mature democracy.
Both of them were being fact-check countered live and they really were grilled not to leave any positions vague. To me, that is something I always wished the media and the opposition could do to the ruling parties in India. But incompetency and tribal allegiance always come in the way as we know from other countries succumbing to populism.
It was illuminating to later understand from the DW correspondent that the democratic system of Germany is set in such a beautiful way, that all politicians try to be on good terms with each other because they might have to form a coalition together.
All I want to say is that I cherish the system we have here, and would like to see it flourish and set an example for model democracies throughout the world.
Danke Deutschland!