In the Dresden Congress Center, a projector throws photos of an ideal world on the wall. Blue skies, snow-covered churches, golden wheat fields. Michael Kretschmer sits on the stage and looks hopelessly overwhelmed. He has just been re-elected CDU state chairman with 76 percent; two years ago he received 95 percent. Kretschmer smiles briefly, then looks down. A bouquet of flowers is handed over his shoulder. Kretschmer remembers that he now has to get up for a photo on stage.
“New ways for Saxony” – after the debacle of the CDU in the federal election, the motto of the state party conference of the Saxon Union sounded like a new departure, after a strategic realignment. Both are urgently needed. The poor performance of the party in Saxony had a lot to do with Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet, but it also clearly revealed the problems in the Free State. Once again, the AfD, a partly right-wing extremist party, became the strongest force. It won ten direct mandates, the CDU four. Only those who vote for the Union can prevent a strong AfD – Kretschmer won the state elections in 2019. However, this effect cannot be reproduced at will, as the general election showed. It is well known that the spectrum of democratic parties is much larger. The SPD has also grown in Saxony.
Kretschmer defends 2 G
Next year district administrators will be elected, and in 2024 the state parliament. Kretschmer’s appearance in Dresden should set the mood, true to the motto, to show new ways to victory. There was also a very combative candidate at the desk – at least outwardly. Kretschmer, who sometimes punched the microphone away while gesticulating, said the “central moment” was “that we broaden our base.” Ten thousand CDU members in Saxony are not enough. “There are many more who are involved, in associations, in citizens’ initiatives,” said Kretschmer. “We have to go out, look for these men and women. Please everyone join us.” At the beginning of next year, the state board wants to meet with the district associations to discuss how things should go in the future (complete speech in the video).
The rest of his speech led far away from Saxony, to Berlin to the Greens (“nine-way-wise opposition party”), to an Italian refugee camp, to the German-Polish border, where more and more refugees are arriving, back to Saxony, where the corona pandemic is again worst of all rampant.
“Saxony has to step on the brakes,” said Kretschmer. “We do not want a new lockdown” – it is an urgent appeal that Kretschmer made to the delegates. Had to judge. Because not everyone is happy with his latest advance. In view of rising incidences, Kretschmer had pushed the introduction of a mandatory 2-G rule, apparently without consulting the party in detail. In the group meeting, MEPs expressed their displeasure. The Parliamentary Managing Director, Christian Hartmann, then gave the Free press an interview: “Sometimes Kretschmer storms too quickly,” he said – two days before the state party conference, two days before Kretschmer’s appearance.
The anger in the CDU was shown in Dresden on the open stage when district chairmen and city councilors spoke. “2 G is not the solution,” said a delegate from Bautzen and demanded that the Saxon Union should be self-critical. Adjectives like “arbitrary” and “lazy to think” were used. A Leipzig delegate criticized the establishment of the state list for the federal election. Others criticized the fact that there were too many representatives of the parliamentary group in the state executive. How one could talk about new ways “if the members of the state parliament also had the say in the committees”. More representatives from the base would be needed.
The winner of the day is a mayor
Kretschmer was no longer sitting in the hall, but was waiting outside on the stairs for Markus Söder. The Bavarian Prime Minister had come to support Kretschmer. Accompanied by marching music and rhythmic clapping, he and his Saxon counterpart walked towards the stage. In his speech he caressed the Saxon soul (“Only where Saxony is there can it go well”) and emphasized his friendly relationship with “Michael”. But in the end that could not prevent the bad result for the state chairman.
The winner of the day was then Steffen Zenner. He is Lord Mayor of Plauen and applied to be one of Kretschmer’s three deputies. On the stage he gave a fiery speech on local politics. The delegates voted for him with 95.8 percent – the number was almost drowned in applause and cheers.