During her time as Federal Minister of Agriculture, Julia Klöckner did not always stand out for keeping the necessary distance from companies. A video in which Klöckner, together with the Nestle Germany boss, praises the group’s sugar, fat and salt reduction strategy is legendary. The CDU politician even had the video tweeted via her ministry’s account, which also caused displeasure in her own party. Finally, there are corporations that are less controversial than Nestle. At the time, the CDU member of the Bundestag, Roderich Kiesewetter, complained, for example: “It’s just not possible for a ministry to tie itself so closely to a company.”
This Saturday, Klöckner is to be elected federal treasurer of her party – which again makes some grumble. Because in her future function, Klöckner will also be responsible for donations from companies. Because the CDU will receive less money from state party funding due to the poor election results and the number of members who pay dues is also falling, the importance of these donations is likely to increase. Is it a wise decision to make Klöckner treasurer? In mid-December, the previous minister was also elected economic policy spokeswoman for the Union faction. So it plays a prominent role in deciding what plans the Union has for dealing with companies.
“I don’t see any conflict of interest there,” says Klöckner when asked about it. As a member of the government, she would not have applied for the post of treasurer – but now she is no longer a minister, but in the opposition. In addition, donations from companies are nothing indecent. “First of all, they should never buy anything as a company – and secondly, they can’t do that either,” says Klöckner.
She appears “also at the request of Friedrich Merz,” says Klöckner
The 49-year-old has been the deputy federal chair for a decade. But at the party conference this Saturday, she will not run for this office again, she would probably have had a hard time. Instead, Klöckner said she was taking over as treasurer “also at the request of Friedrich Merz”. For her, this has the advantage that she can continue to sit on the CDU presidium – the party’s closest leadership circle. And it has the advantage for Merz that he can act more freely in the reorganization of the party leadership, which he considers necessary. The previous deputy CDU chairmen Volker Bouffier, Jens Spahn and Thomas Strobl will not stand again.
But Merz also knows about her successes as the Rhineland-Palatinate CDU chairwoman, says Klöckner. “The regional association was, to put it mildly, financially very shaken – and with a good team I not only made it debt-free in ten years, but put it on a very solid financial footing.”
Still, Klöckner’s staff is amazing. Because the CDU is already being criticized for another case. Astrid Hamker, the President of the Economic Council, is allowed to take part in all federal executive board meetings of the CDU – including the right to speak. The Economic Council is not a CDU body, but an association that claims to represent the “interests of entrepreneurial economy” in politics.