Criticism of Armin Laschet is increasing – but he is sticking to his plans

Criticism of Armin Laschet is increasing – but he is sticking to his plans

Although the CDU / CSU only ended up in second place in the federal elections, top candidate Armin Laschet wants to continue to negotiate with possible partners about a government coalition. Within the party, the pressure on him is increasing.

Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet is still striving to explore the formation of a new government with the FDP and the Greens, despite the drastic losses in the federal election. The board of directors and the presidium of the CDU agree “that we are ready for talks for a so-called Jamaica coalition,” said the CDU chief after the deliberations.

No government mandate for anyone?

No party could derive a government mandate from the election result – not the Union, but neither did the SPD. Chancellor will be the person who has a majority in the Bundestag behind them. This is a moment in which popular parties with the claim to election results of around 30 percent have to appear humbly in front of the voters. “I think Olaf Scholz and I are called to the same humility.” Even with 25 percent you don’t have the claim: “I’m the next Chancellor, and now we just have to see how we can get the others to join.”

The Union had suffered a debacle in the election, it fell from 32.9 percent to the historic low of 24.1 percent. The SPD improved from 20.5 percent to 25.7 percent and thus became the strongest force.

Laschet said a Jamaica alliance could contribute to “social breadth”. Germany needs to be modernized and needs a “coalition for more sustainability”. With the FDP, for example, the Union shares the concern for economic growth, with the Greens the commitment to change to a climate-neutral industrialized country.

Kririk also on Laschet is increasing

Despite his combative stance, the unsuccessful election campaign is met with ever greater criticism within the Union. CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak announced a “relentless analysis”. There is no reason to gloss over anything, said Ziemiak. “The losses are bitter and they hurt.”

Ex-EU commissioner and CDU man Günther Oettinger has also clearly criticized his own party. The Union lacked a clear profile, he said. “The voters were not clear about the reasons for choosing the CDU / CSU,” said Baden-Württemberg’s former prime minister. “The election campaign was too arbitrary.”

After the crash, the CDU Trier is calling for a federal party congress this year. “In view of the historically poor performance of the CDU in the last federal election, the federal executive must question its composition and the most recent decisions,” said the district association. The local MPs were also negatively affected by these decisions.

Röttgen: “It can’t stay that way”

Before that, Saxony’s Christian Democratic Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer had already spoken of an “earthquake” and said that the position of a government contract would not reveal itself to him. This line is exactly on the course that led to the crash of the Union.

CDU presidium member Norbert Röttgen and Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn also called for personal consequences: “It cannot stay the way it is now,” said Röttgen and Spahn said that the CDU should be “returned to its old strength in the next decade”. “We have the people for it. We have to make them responsible now.”

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