Monday 11 October 2021
Advising district chairpersons
Ziemiak: The party congress should re-elect the entire CDU board
After the historically bad Bundestag election, the CDU is trying to reposition itself – but who exactly should be involved is still controversial. Now the district chairmen should discuss the question of a member survey.
After its historic disaster in the federal election, the CDU wants to redefine its leadership by the beginning of next year. CDU general secretary Paul Ziemiak announced this after meetings of the CDU presidium and the federal executive committee. To begin with, there will be a conference of the district chairpersons. Afterwards, the federal board should decide how the base will be integrated into the upcoming decisions – on the basis of an opinion picture in the district chairperson’s conference. A special party congress is then planned to reorganize the content and personnel. It is unclear whether this will take place in December or January.
The meeting of the district chairpersons should also discuss whether and in what form there should be greater participation in the search for a new party leadership. A decision will then be made on November 2nd, said Ziemiak.
The processing of the poor performance in the federal election must be done “brutally openly,” said Ziemiak. The CDU could “not go back to the agenda”, all topics would have to be on the table, including the question of the selection of the future candidate for chancellor.
The schedule is still controversial
Union Chancellor candidate and CDU leader Armin Laschet announced on Thursday that he wanted to moderate the renewal process and propose a party congress to the bodies to reorganize. Laschet put his own ambitions on hold – both in the case of a personnel realignment as well as in possible further negotiations with the Greens and FDP about a Jamaica alliance. However, he did not give a date for a withdrawal from the party leadership. Laschet is likely to hope that there is still an option of power if the SPD, the Greens and the FDP fall out in the negotiations over a traffic light government.
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer called for a party congress this year when he arrived at the CDU headquarters. It is “perfectly clear” that it is not just about the election of a chairman, but about the entire federal board. It goes without saying that the party base will be involved. The deputy CDU chairwoman Julia Klöckner, who, like Kretschmer, is a member of the party presidium, said the important thing now is not the question of time, but of thoroughness and content. The Thuringian CDU leader Christian Hirte said that the CDU should not allow itself to be put under pressure, “but it is clear that we have to create clarity relatively soon so that this unrest in our own troops does not persist”. The party leadership must promptly start talks with the grassroots.
Who will replace Laschet?
Shepherd’s predecessor in Thuringia, board member Mike Mohring, said: “We have to be careful not to dismantle the shop now.” The process of realignment must proceed swiftly, but still in an orderly manner, the basis must have a say in the decision-making process. In addition to economic politician Friedrich Merz, health minister Jens Spahn, foreign politician Norbert Röttgen, parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus and economic politician Carsten Linnemann are possible applicants for the party leadership.
The CDU member representative Henning Otte called for a party congress to be called as soon as possible so that the CDU would be fully capable of acting again. It is important to further strengthen the members’ opportunities to participate – also with regard to the content.
In the federal election at the end of September, the Union had the worst result in its history with 24.1 percent. Since then, Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet has come under massive criticism. Last week he signaled his readiness to retire as party leader. He strives for an amicable solution without personnel disputes.