What is perhaps most striking is what is not there at this party congress. No speech by the CDU federal chairman Friedrich Merz, who was so longed for in the East. No arguing about whether to freeze the war in Ukraine. There is no debate about which weapons Germany is supplying to Kyiv or whether there are options for continuing to purchase Russian gas. In addition, the conference presidium did not get any more Leipzig larks, which the confectioner Jürgen Kleinert had baked for all delegates of the Saxon Union. “A omission,” says Prime Minister and State Chairman Michael Kretschmer. It will be the only thing he has to mourn about that day.
Open criticism of Kretschmer, even distancing himself from his Russia positions, as the Junge Union had demanded at the beginning of October, is a far cry from the party congress in the Schkeuditz Exhibition and Conference Center near Leipzig. Instead, to the applause of the delegates, a prime minister and state chairman appeared who, although still sure of his cause, had become noticeably more diplomatic in his choice of words and tone.
“This war of aggression by Russia is a major crime under international law. There is no reason to justify this attack,” says Kretschmer in his speech and receives applause for the first time. At this point at the latest, he followed in the past few weeks with a rhetorical “but” and pointed out that one must somehow come to terms with Russia, freeze the conflict, and make sure that Germany and Europe do not suffer more from the sanctions against Moscow would have to as Putin himself.
“We stand with the people who were attacked”
It sounds different on Saturday. Kretschmer says Putin is trying to split the European Union, “but we are more united than ever.” And he adds: “It’s a war that violates international law, it has to end. We stand by the people who were attacked. It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of how.”
One does not offend Kretschmer when one realizes that there have been doubts about his whether in recent months. That Friedrich Merz said publicly that Kretschmer did not represent the position of the Union and was also isolated among the East German heads of government. That the former Eastern Commissioner and Saxon CDU MP Marco Wanderwitz called him a “ghost driver” and accused him of “unfortunate Putin understanding”. Wanderwitz stayed away from the party congress just as Merz did. Instead, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst will speak. He finds many warm words, for Saxony in general and Kretschmer in particular. “You’re a big guy and a fine guy” for example. Wüst says Putin’s calculation is to weaken Germany’s economy in order to let solidarity with Ukraine crumble: “But we won’t let concerns turn into fears that divide our society.” Then Kretschmer took off his jacket and applauded energetically.
He has previously indicated that the opposition he received for his pro-Russia stance did not go unnoticed. “I suffered a lot from the narrowing of the discussion,” says the 47-year-old, pointing out that many crucial social issues were hotly debated. That is why it must also be possible “to openly discuss questions of war and peace with one another”. In this context, it is remarkable that the hall is half empty when Carsten Körber, chairman of the CDU state group in Saxony in the Bundestag, reports on his visit to the Ukraine. About atrocities against the population, raped and kidnapped people. Körber had publicly contradicted Kretschmer in the spring, when it came to the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Like the entire Union faction, including the Saxon state group, he voted in favor of it in the Bundestag. Kretschmer supported an open letter from intellectuals who spoke out against the delivery of heavy weapons. On Saturday, Körber’s plea “Putin mustn’t win this war” was met with general murmurs.
Not a word about freezing
In the main motion, which the delegates later adopted almost unanimously, this means: “It takes intensive diplomatic efforts by the European Union, the United States and the international community to persuade Russia to give in.” At the same time, you have to draw new conclusions from the situation. One thing is clear for the Saxon Union: keep nuclear power plants running, promote domestic gas reserves and expand renewable energies. The word freezing is not found in the lead motion. Instead: “The annexations of the regions occupied by war are illegal and must be reversed.”
Like Wüst, Kretschmer is clearly critical of the planned citizens’ allowance: “It doesn’t fit in with the times at all.” Kretschmer opposes a “subsidy mentality” and announces that Saxony will not approve the project in the Bundesrat. On January 1st, the citizen’s income is to replace the previous basic security according to Hartz IV and increase from 449 to 502 euros. The party congress also rejected the cannabis release planned by the traffic light. The fact that the CDU also has to face uncomfortable discussions in the country is unavoidable. This should not be left to the fringes. “We have to talk, talk, talk,” says Kretschmer, “not avoiding anyone, even if it hurts.”