The ballot paper for the European elections in Germany is 83 centimetres long. Voters can choose between 34 parties, including organisations they probably don't know, such as Mera25 or Humane World. And probably also some that they can hardly tell apart – such as the Aktion Partei für Tierschutz and the Partei Mensch Umwelt Tierschutz. Some may feel reminded of Monty Python, where the Judean People's Front competes with the People's Front of Judea.

Unfortunately, the parties' election posters provide little guidance. For example, the election slogan of Bündnis Deutschland (not to be confused with Bündnis C – Christen für Deutschland) is of little help in understanding what the party is all about. The slogan „Reason instead of ideology" could certainly be used by all 35 parties.

Slogans with „instead of" or "or“ are en vogue in this election campaign. "Efficiency instead of bureaucracy“ (Freie Wähler). "Greed or justice?“ (Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht). "Genuine socialism instead of global environmental catastrophe“ (Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany). How can you disagree with this if you don't want to be accused of advocating an over-bureaucratised, ecologically ruined Europe controlled by greedy lobbyists?

The Volt party is relying on the principle of „thinking outside the box" in the current election campaign. Their calls „For more ice cream" and „Don't be an arsehole“ certainly leave some room for interpretation. Speaking of interpretation, the satirists from Die Partei are of course running again, and in Eastern Germany have a poster saying "Chemnitz, Du hast Rechte“, which could refer to having legal rights as well as to having right-wing extremists.

Of course, there are also absolutely unmistakable messages. The slogan „Heal, enjoy, cannabis", for example, leaves little doubt that the Pirates are open to the liberalisation of cannabis. And the slogan: "Get out of the madness: Säxit!“ dramatically signals that the Free Voters in Saxony have fundamental reservations about the European Union. But, as already indicated, such clear messages are extremely rare on the election posters hanging in Germany's city centres. Even if one need not necessarily be sad about this, at least with regard to the last example cited.

Finally, the election campaign run by the FDP, and in particular its lead candidate Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, is remarkable. This is because she is breaking two taboos that previously applied to campaigns in this country. Firstly, she shows her likeness not smiling in a friendly manner, but looking stern and morose in order to emphasise the slogan „I'll be annoying until something changes". And secondly, one of her campaign slogans is aimed directly at an opponent – "Less von der Leyen, more freedom“. This offensive approach is probably no coincidence. Because according to the forecasts, the Liberals are threatened with a severe loss of votes.