After the disaster in the federal election, the CDU wants to set course for the chancellorship. The possible future head of the house has not yet been named – nor who will govern.
Before the CDU federal party conference, North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst clearly supported party leader Friedrich Merz. At their convention in Berlin that begins on Monday, the Christian Democrats want to set course for a possible takeover of the Chancellery after the next federal election. Merz confirmed that “we will deal with the issue of the Union’s candidacy for chancellor in the fall.” When it comes to the question of possible coalition partners after the next election, different nuances became clear among leading CDU politicians.
Regarding the question of the candidate for chancellor, Merz told the “Tagesspiegel” (Saturday) that if the election takes place regularly, there would still be a year left. However, he admitted: “New elections cannot be ruled out given the state of the federal government.” Merz sees the Christian Democrats on the right track to returning to government responsibility after the next federal election. “The CDU is now clearly positioned again.”
Wüst, who is considered a possible candidate for chancellor of the Union alongside Merz and CSU leader Markus Söder, praised the CDU leader. When asked by “Welt am Sonntag” whether the CDU had a “Merz problem” and a chairman who was dragging down the party’s poll numbers, Wüst said: “To answer this clearly: No, the CDU has this problem “Friedrich Merz gave the CDU stability again after losing the federal election.”
In surveys, the CDU/CSU are currently at 29 to 32.5 percent. In the 2021 election, the Union only achieved 24.1 percent. At its party conference, the CDU wants to present itself with a renewed program as a counter-model to the traffic light coalition.
Spahn expects a strong result for Merz
Presidium member Jens Spahn also pointed out that Merz and CSU leader Markus Söder would jointly make a proposal to run for chancellor in the fall. “But of course a CDU chairman is always a natural candidate for chancellor,” Spahn told the German Press Agency. When party leader Friedrich Merz’s first re-election takes place on Monday, he expects “a strong result, with a lot of tailwind and support” for the chairman.
At the same time, Spahn advocated a self-confident course in order to get along without the SPD and the Greens when forming a future government. “We want a bourgeois politics, a politics that values performance, that is based on values, that relies on a market economy. And that doesn’t work well with the Greens and the SPD. These are always compromises to the left,” said Spahn. “With these federal Greens who are so re-ideologizing, I currently don’t see how cooperation can work,” he said, referring to the nuclear phase-out. “If the Greens want to be able to form a coalition again, they have to change quite a bit.”
Wüst: “Don’t limit your options”
Wüst, however, said that the Union should keep several coalition options open. “The best thing to do is for the Union to become so strong that there are several options,” said the CDU politician. “We must not restrict ourselves when it comes to the options offered by coalitions from the democratic center.” He governed successfully with the FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia, and now the CDU is working “trustingly and well” with the Greens. The SPD “can always be a partner for the Union if that is what voters want.”
When Spahn pointed out that without the Greens and the SPD, only the FDP, which is currently hovering around five percent, would remain as a partner, recalling the 2013 election. There was a similar starting point back then. The FDP was thrown out of the Bundestag. At 41.5 percent, the Union only missed the absolute majority by five mandates. This shows him that such a constellation is feasible again, said Spahn.
Merz: Greens more responsible than SPD
Merz noted: “The perfidious attempts to attack us with the attribute “right” together with the AfD only come from the SPD. The Greens act much more responsibly in this respect.” The CDU leader accused the SPD of “dropping all inhibitions the closer the election date gets.” At a recent meeting of the SPD leadership, the “fight against the right” was declared to be the main task – “and of course the CDU was also included.” This contradicts his agreement with the SPD chairmen Saskia Esken and Lars Klingbeil to stand together in the fight against right-wing extremism.
Arm yourself for the election campaign
In terms of content, Spahn demanded that the Union must compete in the federal election with five, a maximum of ten, specific points. It’s about tax relief, the abolition of citizens’ money, the reversal of the heating law and the limitation of irregular migration. “We have to take these clear positions, which make it clear that when we govern, they will come exactly like that.” Merz said: “We will need an immediate program for the economy to lift the mood in companies. Psychologically we are probably in worse shape than the economy itself.”
How to deal with Wagenknecht?
CDU federal deputy Karin Prien does not rule out her party’s collaboration with the Alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) after the three upcoming East German state elections. Prien, who is also Education Minister in Schleswig-Holstein, told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (Saturday): “In the states you will have to look at which personalities are running for the BSW and what political goals are in the election programs. Then you can decide whether there is a local basis for cooperation with the BSW.” She continues to reject cooperation with the Left Party and the AfD, and at the federal level at the moment also with the BSW.
When asked whether he had contact with Wagenknecht, Merz said: “Why should I? She sails into the plenary session, gives a speech and rushes off again before the next speaker has started.” He does not believe that her party will reach a relevant size or that Wagenknecht is interested in parliamentary work.
Program of the CDU party conference on the basic program process Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung on the CDU basic programs
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
