Yesterday she left the Greens, now Melis Sekmen is already sitting in the Union faction – as a guest. What role will she play as a Union woman in the future?
Applause from the Union, anger from the Greens: One day after leaving the Greens, Bundestag MP Melis Sekmen was greeted with long applause by the Union faction. “A warm welcome. It’s good that you made this decision,” said Union faction leader Friedrich Merz to the 30-year-old from Mannheim, according to participants in the meeting of CDU/CSU MPs. “The faction looks forward to getting to know you.”
Because the process of joining the CDU still takes time, Sekmen took part in the discussions as a guest. She was quoted as saying: “For me, a new chapter begins today.”
Merz: Sekmen only obliged to their conscience
Sekmen was elected to the Bundestag via the state list. Merz rejected calls from the Baden-Württemberg Greens to give up her mandate. “She is a freely elected MP and is really only bound by her conscience,” he said. Sekmen is following this by now going where she can realize her ideas about politics. The former Green MP has very clearly expressed her deep disappointment with her former party and parliamentary group.
The leadership of the Union faction will try to place Sekmen in a committee where she can contribute her experience and skills, said Merz. She has already been heavily involved in the field of start-up companies. Sekmen has been a member of the Bundestag since 2021 and was most recently chairwoman of the Parliament’s Economic Committee. Since 2022, she has been chairwoman of the parliamentary group “Foundations & Start-ups”.
Respect for immigration history
Merz said before the parliamentary group meeting that Sekmen’s move had been discussed intensively in recent weeks. There had also been a personal and very pleasant conversation. “I have great respect for this step,” he added. The parliamentary group will welcome the new colleague with respect, including for her personal story of a family that immigrated from Turkey. “She will be an asset to our parliamentary group,” said Merz.
Ex-Green Sekmen against pigeonholing in politics
According to participants in the parliamentary group, Sekmen said that the political style had always been important to her. “We have to say what we think without being pigeonholed.” Her grandfather came to Germany as a guest worker. The people with a migrant background had influenced her and helped her to “think outside the box.” They had managed to climb the social ladder through hard work and achievement. She added: “I’m looking forward to getting to know many of you better soon. Things are moving forward. Thank you very much.”
The last time a Green MP switched to the Union was in 1996
It is rare for MPs to switch factions. The last time the Union faction had a new member from another faction was at the end of 1996. At that time, the former GDR civil rights activist Vera Lengsfeld also switched from the Greens to the Union. At the end of last year, Lengsfeld, who sat in the Bundestag from 1990 to 2005, left the CDU. After the departure of CSU MPs Andreas Scheuer and Stefan Müller in April and May, the CDU/CSU faction last had 195 MPs.
Sekmen applies for membership in CDU in his hometown of Mannheim
The CDU district association in Sekmen’s hometown of Mannheim confirmed receipt of the MPs’ application for membership. A decision will be made on this at a board meeting on Tuesday evening next week, said district chairman Christian Hötting. This is just a formality.
Green district association calls for resignation
The Mannheim Green Party district association pointed out that Sekmen had entered the Bundestag via the Green Party’s state list. “We therefore demand that Melis Sekmen give up her Bundestag mandate so that another person from the elected Green Party list can be represented in the Bundestag instead of her,” it said in a statement. The Green Party’s co-leader in the Bundestag, Britta Haßelmann, said in Berlin: “You can’t stop travelers.”
Kretschmann surprised by reasons for Sekmen’s change
Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) said in Stuttgart with regard to Sekmen’s comments on pigeonholing: “I was a bit surprised by the reasoning.” This is no reason to say goodbye to the Greens, said Kretschmann. He himself expressed similar views. “If you are of this opinion, then you try to convince others of it,” said the Prime Minister.
CSU: Learning from mistakes is a positive thing
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt said of Sekmen: “Learning from your mistakes is a positive thing.” It was a wise realization by the previous Green Party MPs that the international economic situation “cannot be managed with the Greens.”
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.
