Main German parties agree to play fair in election campaign sprint

Germany's main political parties have agreed to conduct a fair election campaign, refraining from personal insults and pledging to engage in respectful debates, the Social Democrats (SPD) and opposition Christian Democrats (CDU) announced on Sunday.

The agreement was reached by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD, his remaining coalition partner, the Greens, the conservative CDU/CSU, the Free Democrats (FDP) and The Left, ahead of the general elections expected on February 23.

The polls, originally due in September, were brought forward after Scholz's governing coalition collapsed in November, in an acrimonious split with the FDP.

However, the populist Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) refused to join the agreement, calling it dishonest and self-righteous. Instead, it would give its own voluntary commitment to campaign fairly, according to general secretary Christian Leye.

"Even during the talks on a fairness agreement, in which the CDU/CSU also took part, [CSU leader] Markus Söder tweeted that our party was led by Moscow - the double standards could hardly be clearer," Leye said.

No fake news

The parties to the agreement commit to abstaining from disinformation, or so-called fake news.

"We do not use such deliberately false information for campaign purposes – even if it comes from third parties who have no connection to us," they pledge.

They also reject the use of false identities such as fake accounts.

"We are identifiable as the sender of a political message, either through a clearly recognizable party logo on campaign materials or through the account from which a content is published."

Rejection of violence

The parties mutually agree to refrain from violence against campaigners, for instance when putting up posters or at campaign stands.

"The posters of political competitors must not be destroyed, damaged, removed or repositioned," the agreement states.

AI rules

Campaigning is also to be conducted fairly online and with regard to artificial intelligence.

"We do not use deepfake technologies to put words into the mouths of political competitors that they have not actually spoken," the parties have pledged.

AI-generated images, video and audio material must be clearly labelled as such, the agreement states. The personal data of users will be handled responsibly.

BSW seeks social reforms

The BSW, formed almost a year ago by former far-left leader Sahra Wagenknecht, unveiled its campaign manifesto earlier on Sunday, focused on social measures including a 5-year rent freeze to combat a widening gap between income and housing costs in many German cities.

The party, which combines traditional left-wing social policies with an anti-migrant stance and pro-Russia leanings, also demands "honest ceasefire efforts" on the war in Ukraine and an end to German arms deliveries, according to an eight-page election manifesto seen by dpa.

The BSW also seeks the reversal of controversial laws aimed at switching the country to renewable sources of heating and banning combustion car engines. It wants asylum seekers to be housed in safe countries outside the European Union while their claims are handled.

Parties have been outlining their election manifestos after the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, withdrew its confidence in Scholz on Monday, in an orchestrated move towards early polls.