The parties position themselves for the Bundestag election. Follow all developments in the news blog.
In the event of the Union’s election victory, the Federal Government’s Eastern Commissioner has demanded that the CDU nominate at least one person from the new states for a ministerial office. The CDU politician Marco Wanderwitz said the German press agency: “If Armin Laschet becomes Chancellor and another cabinet member comes from North Rhine-Westphalia, then two have to come from the East.” Overall, the presence of East Germans in management positions must be further increased.
Apart from Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), there are currently no East Germans in the federal cabinet. Federal Family Minister Franziska Giffey (SPD) had given up her position in May after discussions about her doctoral thesis.
Wanderwitz presented the annual report on the state of German unity last Wednesday. He had made it clear that the people in the East had to be listened to more. Many people have “deepened basic skepticism” towards politics and democracy. The economic catch-up process has progressed. In addition, more authorities and research institutions have been settled in the new federal states. (07/10/2021)
SPD boss criticizes easing in NRW as “fair weather policy”
SPD boss Norbert Walter-Borjans has criticized the relaxation of corona measures in North Rhine-Westphalia as an election campaign maneuver by NRW Prime Minister and CDU chancellor candidate Armin Laschet. “What Armin Laschet is doing now is not based on reason, but rather fair weather policy with a view to the federal election,” said the SPD chairman Rheinische Post.
First of all, a higher vaccination rate is needed – that is only a matter of a few weeks, says Walter-Borjans. “If the state government is now pretending to be normal, it is almost a signal to the undecided not to take vaccination seriously,” he said. He has “absolute understanding” for everyone who wants to go to festivals, discos or sports events again. “What we certainly do not want is a fourth wave,” warned the SPD leader. The successes in fighting the pandemic should not be gambled away now.
The SPD health expert Karl Lauterbach also criticized the easing in NRW. This gives the “wrong signal” that the pandemic is over, Lauterbach said on Thursday evening on the ZDF program “Maybrit Illner”. The North Rhine-Westphalian Health Minister Karl-Josef Laumann (CDU) replied that the state government was not daring. There is also no federal state that tests so strictly, said Laumann in the ZDF broadcast.
From this Friday onwards, a new corona protection ordinance will apply in North Rhine-Westphalia, which provides for an extensive normalization of many areas of life in view of the low number of infections. Discos, fair and folk festivals are allowed again with small editions. In many areas there are also contact restrictions, mask and follow-up obligations – but not everywhere. (07/09/2021)
Laschet distances himself from statements of measure
CDU boss Armin Laschet has clearly distanced himself from the attacks by CDU Bundestag candidate Hans-Georg Maaßen on public media. “Our position on public service broadcasting is crystal clear. Especially at a time like now, when there is so much fake news about the pandemic, strong public service broadcasting is important,” said Laschet at an event for the women’s magazine Brigitte. “That is the position of the entire CDU,” added the CDU chief, who did not even mention the name of the former President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
Maaßen was formerly President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and is a direct candidate for the CDU in a constituency in southern Thuringia. He had recently caused indignation by accusing the public service media of tendentious reporting: “I no longer see the balance of the reporting,” he told the broadcaster tv.Berlin. There is a “clear left twist”. Maaßen spoke of connections between editorial staff and the left-wing extremist scene and brought an “NDR committee of inquiry” into discussion. The NDR produces the “Tagesschau” for the ARD. On Sunday evening he then emphasized that freedom of the press and broadcasting had constitutional status. The “biography of some editors” should also be put to the test. The CDU presidium had already clearly distanced itself from its previous statements on Monday. Laschet was quoted by participants as saying that Maaßen is damaging the party.
On Wednesday evening, however, the CDU boss made it clear that there are very high hurdles for exclusion from the party. If someone has a different opinion, this should be made clear. Laschet added to the criticism of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP that he was silent on the Maaßen statements. You shouldn’t let the topics be pushed onto you. Maaßen address issues that are not the problems in Germany.
The course of the CDU is also very clear, stressed Laschet: “We have to maintain the course of the center. We have to delimit ourselves clearly to the right.” With the AfD there will be and cannot be any cooperation. (07/07/2021)
Seehofer considers criticism of Baerbock “simply exaggerated”
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) considers the ongoing criticism of the Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock and her book to be excessive and advises to be more relaxed during the election campaign. “I think that’s just exaggerated,” said Seehofer Süddeutsche Zeitung. “How many books have been written in which you simply reproduce things from programs, from other concepts. And since it is not a scientific work, you are not obliged to cite the source.” It is appropriate to discuss such a book for “a day or two”. “And then it has to be good again. I advise you to be more relaxed.”
After weeks of debates about the credibility of the Green candidate for Chancellor Baerbock and her book, which contains copied passages, the Greens finally defended themselves legally. After the debate intensified, the top of the Union accused the Greens on Monday of using Trump methods in the election campaign.
Seehofer, on the other hand, was unimpressed. “I really can’t say this is the dirtiest campaign ever.” His first election campaign between Strauss and Helmut Schmidt, later with Helmut Kohl, was “a completely different caliber of emotional campaigning”. A bit of sharpness is part of the political controversy. “We’re not boring potato end users,” he said. Anyone who is attacked has to endure it for a few days. “These are the endurance tests that anyone who wants to lead the country has to go through.” But then it is enough again. “You don’t have to make a serial out of it.” (Constanze von Bullion, July 6th, 2021)
Police union criticizes CDU poster
The police union (GdP) criticizes the CDU for an election campaign poster showing an employee disguised as a police officer. “Just as policemen are not allowed to go to party meetings in uniform, parties should not advertise themselves with fake policemen in our outfit,” said the deputy GdP federal chairman Jörg Radek picture. “We are there for all citizens, not the set for election programs, not even those of police friends. Without the accompanying text ‘Attention! this can also be punishable by law. “
CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak had presented his party’s election campaign and the associated posters on Tuesday – including the one with the apparently policewoman. Because of the restrictions and hygiene standards, no models or purchased pictures were used for the photos, rather they worked with employees and members of the CDU, it said. The posters should be pasted and put up with the start of postal voting in mid-August.
The CDU advertises itself with the slogan “Do Germany together”. The central element of the campaign for the federal election is the so-called “Union Circle” as a “strong symbol of solidarity,” said Ziemiak. “We bring people together.” In the coming months, party leader Armin Laschet wants to attract votes with a large-scale summer tour. The Union is also planning “theme weeks”, in which they will each deal with a specific political topic broadly, as Ziemiak said. The CDU will spend a little more than 20 million euros on the election campaign – that’s about as much as in the previous elections. (07/07/2021)
Merz calls on CDU members to leave the values union
The CDU economic politician Friedrich Merz has called on the CDU members to leave the conservative values union. “I call on all CDU members to leave the so-called Union of Values and to shape the future together in the CDU,” said Merz, who is part of the election campaign team of CDU chairman Armin Laschet, of the German press agency. The ex-Union faction leader attacked the new chairman of the Union of Values, the economist Max Otte, sharply.
Otte “apparently doesn’t know the difference between lobbying and professional activity as a lawyer and supervisory board,” said Merz. Otte had said at the weekend that Merz was burdened by his previous lobbying activities and should “not take over a state office, even if the lobbying activity is dormant”. Merz was formerly chairman of the supervisory board for Germany of the US asset manager Blackrock. The mandate ended on March 31, 2020 – so it’s not just dormant. Merz said: “The unqualified envelopes from Mr. Otte should give the members of this self-proclaimed union of values something to think about.”
After the controversial election of Otte, the Union of Values shows ever stronger signs of disintegration. Members of various state boards resigned in protest at Otte’s course. The former chairman of the Values Union, Alexander Mitsch, announced his departure on Monday. “Mr. Otte is not in a position to continue the original idea of the Union of Values,” Mitsch told the German Press Agency. “Mr Otte’s envelopes led to my resignation.” Mitsch was one of the founding fathers of the Values Union and had headed it for four years. He can imagine that he will join a new platform where members of the Union of Values who have resigned could come together.
Critics accuse Otte of moving the Union of Values to the right and wanting to open up to the AfD. Otte reacted calmly and, according to his own statements, assumes that the Union of Values will emerge stronger from this process. The Values Union sees itself as a representative of the conservative current in the Union, but is not an official party division. According to its own information, its membership is more than 4,000 – including, however, members without a CDU party book. (05.07.2021)
Eco-party “Klimaliste” becomes active nationwide
The “Climate List” party, which was previously only active at the local and state level, now also wants to get involved at the federal level. The activists officially announced the founding of the federal party at a press conference in Berlin. According to their own statements, they had already launched the federal party on June 19 in Leipzig. Scientists also joined them.
The party’s core theme at regional level is a more determined fight against climate change and compliance with the 1.5-degree target based on the Paris Agreement. This puts it in competition with the Greens. For example, they are calling for CO₂ pricing of at least 195 euros per ton, while the Greens are targeting 60 euros per ton from 2023. Now the climate list wants to set up direct candidates nationwide.
According to the company’s own information, the climate list is now represented in all 16 federal states. Most recently, the candidates also stood in the state elections in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony-Anhalt. In all three federal states, however, they clearly missed the five percent hurdle for entry into the state parliament, in Saxony-Anhalt the climate list came to around 0.1 percent of the votes. (07/02/2021)