Inflation and the country's economic slowdown have diminished Germans' purchasing power. DW spoke with two families about what measures they want to see from the incoming government.
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00:00What do a single father in Thuringia and a family from Munich have in common?
00:05Where do they differ? What are their concerns ahead of the German election?
00:09It turns out they're worlds apart.
00:12Sunday afternoon at the Schoenbachs in Zeilenrode, a small town in central Germany's Thuringia region.
00:19Uwe Schoenbach is raising his 15-year-old son alone.
00:23Balancing work and parenting as a mechanical engineer isn't easy.
00:29When kids are younger, you have to handle everything by yourself.
00:34When they get sick, you're fully responsible.
00:39You constantly have to figure out how to juggle it all with a full-time job.
00:46Jan-Peter Schoenbach, a 10th grader, has learned to work independently.
00:51But school isn't always smooth sailing, and he has clear demands on the next government.
00:57I remember days when we had no school because there were no teachers, because they were sick.
01:02I want us to be more involved.
01:06Over to Munich, just a few hundred kilometers away.
01:10Of the three Leopold children, only 18-year-old Tomek still lives at home.
01:15His siblings have already left for university or work.
01:19The family is financially secure and bought their apartment a few years ago.
01:25Dirk Leopold is an engineer, and his wife Anna an accountant.
01:29Since the pandemic, both have worked from home.
01:32They don't worry about money, but they still have political concerns.
01:40The housing market, absolutely, especially for young people.
01:44Finding an affordable apartment is nearly impossible.
01:48And in the last few years, youth unemployment has also risen.
01:53It's not easy to find a job after graduation.
02:01I'm tired of hearing politicians talking about cutting bureaucracy.
02:07They keep saying it's necessary, but nothing ever changes.
02:16Back in Thuringia, the economy is struggling, and Uwe Schoenbach is feeling it.
02:21His company doesn't have enough orders, so he's working reduced hours.
02:26He designs industrial machinery, but many companies are now cutting jobs.
02:36I'm extremely worried.
02:38When I talk to customers and suppliers, they all say the same thing.
02:42Things have never been this bad.
02:48The decline continues.
02:50The automotive and mechanical engineering industries are in crisis.
02:54Everyone is struggling.
03:00In Munich, Germany's wealthiest city, there are few visible signs of the economic downturn.
03:06But even Tomek, the youngest Leopold, is concerned.
03:10He just started an apprenticeship and hopes to move out one day.
03:15I don't know if I'll stay in Munich.
03:19Housing is so expensive.
03:21I'm not sure how I'll manage on my salary, if I can afford it at all.
03:30Back in Soylenroder.
03:32This region in the former East is considered structurally weak.
03:36Many lost their jobs after reunification and moved away.
03:41Uwe Schoenbach tries to spend as much time as possible with his son.
03:45Their Sunday walks have become a ritual.
03:49What concerns me the most is that something needs to be done for single parents.
03:55That legislation needs to consider them too.
03:58And especially that people think about what happens in old age.
04:03This affects me deeply because I can't set aside much for retirement.
04:08What will happen to me when I'm old?
04:12The Leopolds in Munich enjoy regular cafe visits.
04:16Their children are grown, employed and independent.
04:20They take vacations abroad several times a year.
04:23But they also have big expectations for the next government.
04:30Invest, invest, invest.
04:33In everything that's been neglected for the last 15 years.
04:39In infrastructure, education, the internet, new ideas, new technologies, everything.
04:50And of course becoming independent from China.
04:53Establishing a stable, self-sufficient Europe.
04:57Especially in relation to the US and Trump.
05:01That would be a very important point for me.
05:08The Schoenbachs might be less well-off than the Leopolds.
05:11But both families know exactly what they want from the next government.