The German opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) released a campaign video containing footage from Denmark instead landscapes from Germany, writes newspaper Bild.
According to the publication, in the video under the motto “Germany is moving forward again” natural scenery shots are shown with a wooden bridge, reeds and a view of a picturesque fjord. At the same time, a female voice says: “Our goal is a Germany that the world will once again look at with admiration, not surprise”. The video of the beautiful landscape, the newspaper noted, was taken from the website of a Danish company that advertises its vacation property services. Provided by an international agency that also resells their materials.
The people featured in the video are also not German residents. Notably, the blond boy playing in the meadow was also filmed in Denmark. Another boy with a laptop and thick-rimmed glasses is American. He has already starred in various commercials. The woman with the moon tattoo is also from the United States, the publication points out.
In addition, the video repeatedly shows the candidate for the post of chancellor of Germany from the opposition conservative bloc of the Christian Democratic and Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) Friedrich Merz and CDU General Secretary Karsten Linnemann. CDU said that this was a mistake of the party office. The material did not contain information in which countries the footage used in the video was shot.
HDS has made mistakes in advertising before. In 2021 The CDU dressed party office staff in police uniforms, drawing criticism from police unions. In 2023 the party confused the presidential palace in Tbilisi with the Reichstag in Berlin, summarizes Bild.
Germany is experiencing an acute political crisis. On December 16, the Bundestag will discuss the issue of the vote of confidence in the government of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. If members of the Bundestag reject him, early elections will be held on February 23, 2025. The CDU/CSU candidate for chancellor is Merz. The CDU/CSU rating currently varies between 30-32%.