In the election campaign, the power of images counts.

It was well considered that Armin Laschet, the candidate for chancellor of the Union parties, started his campaign tour through Germany on Wednesday in the Gallus boxing camp.

Punch through, fight hard, but with fair rules: "We have to finally get to a political election campaign, to a clear position at the front," said the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister, who wants to become Federal Chancellor.

Martin Benninghoff

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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The courage to fight comes at the right time, because in the latest survey by the Forsa Institute, the CDU and CSU lose three percentage points and fall to 23 percent, while the SPD moves up to 19 percent and the Greens remain at 20 percent.

It is a snapshot, the hot phase of the election campaign is now beginning.

For Laschet with a week's delay after the flood disaster in his home state called for other priorities.

"You can't learn socially via the screen"

The candidate brought three messages with him. "There must be no lockdown," says Laschet, also with regard to the young people who train in the boxing camp and other facilities of the Frankfurt Sports Youth. Not only should the incidence be looked at, but the consequences for children and adolescents should be considered. "You cannot learn together socially only digitally via the screen."

Before the corona pandemic, around 300 children, adolescents and young adults between the ages of six and 27 trained here. Services include homework assistance and lunch. It was difficult to organize this during the pandemic, says Petra Preßler, the chairwoman of the sports youth board. Equipment for outdoor training has been purchased, but no permission has been given to use it. “You can't tip the sport,” she says. The 18-year-old high school graduate Alexander Hüttermann tells Laschet how he rebuilds the fitness he lost during the lockdown. The facility is currently open again, but the young people have to adhere to certain times.

"Here the young people have the chance to show what they can do with their own performance," says Laschet. In the boxing camp, the idea is lived that everyone can make it in society, regardless of where they come from. The common language in the sports facility is German - language training has to start in kindergarten. “This is where integration into sport is brought in,” says the chancellor candidate, before getting into the car after about an hour for the next appointment. What remains is a signed boxing glove. The election on September 26th will show whether he will bear the signature of a future Federal Chancellor.