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ELECTION

German political candidate campaigns on Tinder

Like many Berlin students, Alexander Freier is an avid Tinder user, and likes nothing more than getting matches on the app.

Published: 19 July 2016 12:57 CEST

German political candidate campaigns on Tinder

Photo: SPD Berlin/Joachim Gern

But he isn't using the dating app to find love – Freier is actually canvassing for votes. A member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), one of Germany’s two major political parties along with the CDU, he is standing for election into the Berlin House of Representatives in September, and the 29-year-old hopes that connecting with voters on Tinder is the way to do it.

Instead of using photos of himself on his profile, he is using images with his campaign slogans including “the city of freedom” and “Berlin stays gay”.

#SPD auf #Tinder – Per Wisch zur Wahl https://t.co/HQsH2pbXqY

— BILD Berlin (@BILD_Berlin) July 17, 2016

Freier has received around 100 'hearts' in just over a week, meaning that users have 'liked' his profile by swiping right. He told the Berliner Zeitung that the messages he had received had been “very positive”.

But it’s not just his policies that are getting voters excited.

“People have also flirted with me,” he admitted. “But I have to separate politics and my private life. What's more, I’m in a happy relationship!”

Freier explained his decision to take his campaign to Tinder, saying that it's good for politicians to “be where the people are”.

Marisa Strobel, press spokesperson for the Berlin branch of the SPD, said that candidates were free to choose how they conducted their campaigns, as long as they weren't violating the law or party statute.

It is the first time that a German politician has used the dating app as a campaign platform – but Tinder has previously attracted the interest of politicians in other countries.

Former UK Prime Minister David Cameron had a meeting with the startup, along with other social media companies, in an effort to try to attract the youth vote in his EU referendum campaign. The news created so much excitement that Downing Street was forced to issue a statement clarifying that the 49-year-old father of two had not actually created a profile on the app.

Over in the US, two female fans of former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders were temporarily banned from the dating app for spamming matches with political messages. Tinder said: “We whole-heartedly support people sharing their political views on Tinder” and that people should feel free to “spread the Bern” using their app – a reference to the slogan of Sanders' supporters.

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Output is expected to expand 0.3 percent this year, the economy ministry said, up from a prediction of 0.2 percent in February.

The slightly rosier picture comes after improvements in key indicators — from factory output to business activity — boosted hopes a recovery may be getting under way.

The German economy shrank slightly last year, hit by soaring inflation, a manufacturing slowdown and weakness in trading partners, and has acted as a major drag on the 20-nation eurozone.

But releasing its latest projections, the economy ministry said in a statement there were growing indications of a “turning point”.

“Signs of an economic upturn have increased significantly, especially in recent weeks,” Economy Minister Robert Habeck said at a press conference.

The ministry also cut its forecast for inflation this year to 2.4 percent, from a previous prediction of 2.8 percent, and sees the figure falling below two percent next year.

“The fall in inflation will lead to consumer demand — people have more money in their wallets again, and will spend this money,” said Habeck.

“So purchasing power is increasing, real wages are rising and this will contribute to a domestic economic recovery.”

Energy prices — which surged after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — had also fallen and supply chain woes had eased, he added.

Several months ago there had been expectations of a strong rebound in 2024, with forecasts of growth above one percent, but these were dialled back at the start of the year as the economy continued to languish.

‘Germany has fallen behind’

But improving signs have fuelled hopes the lumbering economy — while not about to break into a sprint — may at least be getting back on its feet.

On Wednesday a closely-watched survey from the Ifo institute showed business sentiment rising for a third consecutive month in April, and more strongly than expected.

A key purchasing managers’ index survey this week showed that business activity in Germany had picked up.

And last week the central bank, the Bundesbank, forecast the economy would expand slightly in the first quarter, dodging a recession, after earlier predicting a contraction.

German Economics Minister Robert Habeck

Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) presents the latest economic forecasts at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday, April 24th. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Michael Kappeler

Despite the economy’s improving prospects, growth of 0.3 percent is still slower than other developed economies and below past rates, and officials fret it is unlikely to pick up fast in the years ahead.

Habeck has repeatedly stressed solutions are needed for deep-rooted problems facing Germany, from an ageing population to labour shortages and a transition towards greener industries that is moving too slowly.

“Germany has fallen behind other countries in terms of competitiveness,” he said. “We still have a lot to do — we have to roll up our sleeves.”

Already facing turbulence from pandemic-related supply chain woes, the German economy’s problems deepened dramatically when Russia invaded Ukraine and slashed supplies of gas, hitting the country’s crucial manufacturers hard.

While the energy shock has faded, continued weakness in trading partners such as China, widespread strikes in recent months and higher eurozone interest rates have all prolonged the pain.

The European Central Bank has signalled it could start cutting borrowing costs in June, which would boost the eurozone.

But Habeck stressed that care was still needed as, despite the expectations of imminent easing, “tight monetary policy has not yet been lifted.”

In addition, disagreements in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party ruling coalition are hindering efforts to reignite growth, critics say.

This week the pro-business FDP party, a coalition partner, faced an angry backlash from Scholz’s SPD when it presented a 12-point plan for an “economic turnaround”, including deep cuts to state benefits.

Christian Lindner, the fiscally hawkish FDP finance minister, welcomed signs of “stabilisation” in the economic forecasts but stressed that projected medium-term growth was “too low to sustainably finance our state”.

“There are no arguments for postponing the economic turnaround,” he added.