press reviews
As soon as the CDU has solved one power question, it is faced with the next: The new party chairman Friedrich Merz must now reach for the parliamentary group chairmanship, the media comment, but this involves a great risk.
In the third attempt, Friedrich Merz. Now he is faced with the question: Does he take Angela Merkel as a role model, who caused him great pain 20 years ago? The new CDU party leader still faces the “actual acid test”, the media comment.
Because the next question of power is looming: After his triumph, will Merz also get the powerful post of Union faction leader in the Bundestag? Before the important state elections in March and May, after the past three years of dispute, it would be an incalculable disruptive factor if there were a months-long stalemate on this issue. Important tactical questions are also linked to the decision to replace parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU). The press reviews.
“Friedrich Merz faces a strategic dilemma”
“Augsburg General”: “The approval of Merz is also a signal to the CSU. In Bavaria, they can take note that the sister party has a captain on board who wants to lead. The dispute over the direction of the past few months should therefore be a thing of the past. ‘Strong Basis – Klarer Kurs’ was the motto of the CDU party conference. It was and is well chosen in this case.”
“Southgerman newspaper” (Munich): “If one more proof was needed that Angela Merkel and the CDU no longer have much in common, then it was provided this weekend. The former chancellor did not feel compelled to take part in the CDU party conference. She turned down an invitation from Friedrich Merz to dinner with the new party leadership and the former CDU leaders. And Merkel doesn’t want to become honorary chairman of the party either. You can’t express his distance any clearer.”
“New Osnabrück Newspaper”: “But the outstanding vote also shows that the party has understood that it can no longer afford another signal of division at its third restart in three years. Even in the second row of the party leadership, hardly a stone is left unturned. Angela Merkel’s companions were elected with extremely modest results or were no longer able to assert themselves. The party is thus sending the signal that it has cut its cord from the long-standing boss and Chancellor. Friedrich Merz could succeed with it, which neither Armin Laschet nor Annegret Kramp -Karrenbauer succeeded. Neither of them stood for a new start. That was the problem of the CDU in the past three years.”
“Handelsblatt” (Düsseldorf): “Merz faces a strategic dilemma. If the CDU wants to become a people’s party again, i.e. if it wants to achieve more than 30 percent in the federal government, a conservative profile is not enough. The heavy partisan legacy of Merkel is the AfD. The Merz of the 90s could easily bring back three to four percentage points from this camp. But he would lose voters in the middle. However, power is always distributed over the center in Germany.”
“Berlin newspaper”: “The biggest conflict awaits in the parliamentary group. There Ralph Brinkhaus is the leader of the parliamentary group and that until April. But Merz cannot wait that long to clarify the next important leadership question. If, as party chairman, he wants to be more than a friendly elderly gentleman who writes or has someone write the basic program, then he has to decide on the personnel for himself. No one knows that better than he does, and has done so for 20 years: At that time, party leader Angela Merkel ousted him from the head of the parliamentary group in order to bundle the opposition work, as she said at the time. At the time, Merz refrained from running for a fight against her. But he cannot count on Brinkhaus doing the same thing now. Friedrich Merz still has the real acid test ahead of him.“
“people’s voice” (Magdeburg): “Merz now has to deliver and get the CDU back on its feet. The economist has the image of a polarizer. If he wants to be successful, Friedrich Merz has to present himself as a team player. This also includes involving the social wing more. The next acid test is imminent . Ralph Brinkhaus will remain the leader of the parliamentary group until the end of April – and wants to stay that way. Will Merz challenge him for the post? He would be well advised to first bring peace to the unsettled party. That won’t work with a public power struggle.”
“Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”: “The new leadership team will give face and voice to all currents in the party, but also have to bring them together in such a way that it doesn’t soon become clear that the high level of approval for Merz was just a flash in the pan of unity. The CDU doesn’t have endless time to discuss things . Even before the three state elections in the spring, Merz has to take a few position pegs – also in the question of the parliamentary group chairmanship. Merz cannot (and does not want to) do without the post of opposition leader in the Bundestag (…).”
Source From: Stern
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