CSU party conference: “Chancellor Merz” and his loyal Söder

Friedrich Merz swears the Union into the election campaign at the CSU party conference. Although he sets a clear direction – he deliberately sets a different tone than Söder’s CSU.

In the end, the harmony in the Union has to be directed a little from above: only when Markus Söder comes on stage after CDU leader Friedrich Merz’s speech does the applause of the CSU delegates become more rhythmic and louder. Without the CSU boss as a prelude, the cheering for the Union Chancellor candidate’s speech at the CSU party conference threatens to die down quite early – although there are actually no substantive reasons for this.

In his hour-long speech, Merz tries to speak “from the soul” of the CSU, as Söder called it. He calls for new seriousness in internal and external security in Germany (“top priority”), insists on rejections at the borders (“doesn’t actually want a migration and immigration election campaign”) and mentions the fears of Jews in the country “unacceptable disgrace for Germany”.

Merz tries to use gentler tones than Söder

But unlike Söder, Merz is clearly trying not to repeat the woodcut-like attacks and demands heard in the CSU on many topics, but rather adopts a more differentiated tone. When it comes to migration, he emphasizes several times that it is not the majority of refugees who are the cause of “disproportionate crime rates”, but rather that the problem comes from a number of young men who often cannot provide any real reasons for fleeing to Germany.

Merz is also looking for a middle ground in the Green bashing that has been so often emphasized and carried out in the CSU at Söder’s insistence. Although he explains that, from his point of view, cooperation with the Greens “as they exist today” is not conceivable, Merz himself avoids categorical rejections. According to surveys, the Union currently has values ​​of around 31 percent – the same as the three traffic light parties SPD, Greens and FDP combined.

Merz warns against coalition election campaign

“We are not running a coalition election campaign,” says Merz. If “only the Social Democrats are left” for coalitions, it won’t be any fun either. He refers in particular to the convictions of individual SPD top politicians in foreign and security policy, but also in economic and social policy. “It’s going to be damn difficult.” The Union should therefore concentrate on becoming as strong as possible.

Merz categorically rules out any collaboration with the AfD. “We would be selling the soul of the Union if we worked with such people.” The AfD is xenophobic, right-wing radical and “anti-Semitic at its core” and is therefore not an alternative, but rather a relegation for Germany. But what the Sahra Wagenknecht alliance wants also contradicts the Union’s convictions. “This is socialism in Chanel.”

In terms of foreign policy, Merz promises the delegates a greater presence for Germany in the European Union. The increasing protectionism among major global economic players such as China and the USA is forcing Europe to have even more common ground, but also even more competitiveness.

With a view to the US presidential election in November, Merz expects cooperation with the United States to be more difficult: If the Democrat Kamala Harris wins, it will be a little “friendlier”, but if the Republican Donald Trump wins, it will be “pretty unfriendly”. “The result” will be “the same for both.”

Merz calls for new motivation in Germany

In order to maintain the welfare state, economic performance in Germany must be improved again, says Merz. “We have to formulate a new will to perform.” At the same time, the citizens’ money introduced by the traffic light government must be abolished and replaced by basic security. “We need a 2030 Agenda for the hard-working people in the country who are making an effort and who have not given up believing that we are a strong one country.”

To the delight of the CSU, Merz also sees a downsizing of the state apparatus (“bloated waterhead in Berlin offices”) as unavoidable. The 34 federal government representatives only promise to solve problems “that we wouldn’t have without them.” Except for the military commissioner, everyone should be put to the test.

The Union should not play anyone off against each other in the election campaign

Merz is trying to present himself as a candidate for chancellor for all interest groups – urban, rural, old, young, with a migration background or “so-called organic Germans”. The Union is not playing anyone “off against one another who is diligent in this country, works, pitches in, helps and ensures that this country moves forward again in the next few years.” Merz sees this as an opportunity to turn the CDU into the new “workers’ party”.

Söder not only promises Merz the full loyalty of the CSU on the big stage, even beyond the election campaign (“I welcome the future Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany Friedrich Merz. You can rely on Bavaria, we will strengthen you.”), he also mixes things up the fates of the two party leaders: “We are a team, if one goes under, the other goes under. But we both stay afloat.”

dpa

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