Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by Julia Henrichmann
00:21 Uwe Schönbach | Mechanical engineer
00:53 Jan Peter Schönbach | Student
01:21 Anna Leopold | Accountant
01:42 Dirk Leopold | Engineer

Script:

Uwe Schönbach and his son Jan-Peter live in Thuringia, in eastern Germany. Uwe is a mechanical engineer - but now he's on short-time work because his company no longer has enough orders. He is worried about the economy - and his job.

((+++ Uwe Schönbach, trained mechanical engineer, German +++)
"I often have visits from customers and suppliers, and when you talk to them, they all say plainly that it's never been this bad, it's going downhill, the automotive industry, the whole mechanical engineering sector is in freefall, everyone is struggling."

Jan-Peter is still in school. As a young person, he feels that politicians aren't listening.

((+++ SOT Jan Peter Schönbach, student, German +++))
"I still remember when we were at home for days because school was out - all the teachers were sick. I wish they would pay more attention to us."

Several hundred kilometers away, Munich is one of the wealthiest places in western Germany. The Leopold family lives here. Dirk Leopold works as an engineer, his wife Anna is an accountant. They say they're getting by - but that politicians need to do much more to turn things around.

((+++ SOT Anna Leopold, accountant, German +++))
"Invest, invest, invest in all possible areas, in the areas where there hasn't been investment in the last 15 years, and that's everything from infrastructure to education to internet, new ideas, new technologies, everything!"

((+++ SOT Dirk Leopold, engineer, German +++))
"What I can't stand hearing anymore, what I would tell a politician, is about cutting red tape. It's always talked about, always brought up as a necessary step, and nothing happens."

The mood before the elections in Germany is gloomy. Whether in the West or the East, among young or old, in poor or rich regions: There's broad dissatisfaction with the political system - because people are worried about the future.