Three weeks after the historic election defeat of the Union, Armin Laschet gives the best speech of his long-ended election campaign. Now that it no longer matters, the still-CDU boss, still-NRW prime minister and failed candidate for chancellor is in top form. It is a fiery plea for solidarity – and at the same time an emotional farewell speech.
Laschet has traditionally had a difficult time with the Junge Union, the youth organization of the CSU and CDU; The JU hearts beat last for Markus Söder and Friedrich Merz. At the start of the so-called Germany Day of the JU in Münster, Johannes Winkel, the NRW state chairman, said on Friday evening: “Anyone who appears in the election campaign like Armin Laschet should not immediately claim to be chancellor after the election, but in front of everyone Take responsibility for the result. “
An application at the meeting reads like a settlement with the top political figures of the Union. The NRW Prime Minister said, among other things: “Unfortunately, Armin Laschet was unable to reach people’s hearts. Quite the contrary: Many voters did not vote for the Union because of the availability of staff.” But such a candidacy is not a one-man show. Only a few in the federal cabinet were helpful in the election campaign. Even the leaders of the CDU and CSU “did not cut a good figure”. The analysis reads: “We lost out of our own weakness, not because of the strength of others.”
CSU boss Markus Söder had spontaneously canceled the JU, “disappointing” complained not only JU boss Tilman Kuban. Laschet faces the more than 300 delegates in Münster this Saturday morning. As he enters the hall, a party song from the Black Eyed Peas roars over the loudspeakers, the chorus goes like this: “I got a feeling. That sounds gonna be a good night.” It’s far from night, but the rest is true. That Laschet “faces” the JU, proves “character” says Kuban. Long-lasting applause follows this praise, which is also a tip in the direction of Söder.
Laschet takes responsibility for the “bitter result”
The Union achieved a “bitter result”, says Laschet. “Nothing can be nicely talked about. As chairman and candidate for chancellor, I am responsible for this result. I am responsible for the election campaign and the campaign, and nobody else.” The Junge Union thanks Laschet for their “tireless help and support during the election campaign:” When I came, you were already there. “
Laschet swore the Junge Union to the role of the opposition: “We mustn’t be shrill or clumsy, but put our fingers in the wound wisely and intelligently.” Laschet explained that he did not directly admit defeat on election evening by saying that “in theory a Jamaica alliance would have been possible”. Laschet praised the twelve-page exploratory paper that the leaders of the Greens, FDP and SPD had presented before the coalition negotiations on Friday: The paper is okay, we could have done a lot Laschet said he did not share Friedrich Merz, who, as the opening speaker on Friday evening, described the Union as a “restructuring case”, adding that the Union had “had a good program”.
The SPD had shown “how to do a closed election campaign. That used to be the strength of the Union and that must become the strength of the Union again. This virtue of standing together, we have to learn again if we want to win again.” So that it could go against the political opponent again “and not against each other in the Union family.”
Laschet gets really annoyed at the next point: “The fact that you can read the CDU federal executive in the live ticker was a weakening in the election campaign.” The last CDU boss alluded to indiscretions from the Jamaica negotiations; Bild-Vice Paul Ronzheimer had read text messages from confidential meetings on TV for hours. Laschet therefore decreed for board and presidium meetings: “Now there is a cell phone ban. As long as I am CDU chairman, this cell phone ban applies.” The delegates applaud. Laschet gets emotional when it comes to Wolfgang Schäuble. Laschet rejected demands for the resignation of the Bundestag President with unusual sharpness: “Such a deserving man does not deserve to be pushed out of office by anyone. I will not tolerate that.” A few days ago, the Bavarian JU chairman asked Schäuble to withdraw from parliament.
In the question and answer session that followed, numerous delegates praised Laschet’s “open and honest analysis” and paid him respect for his speech. A delegate from Schleswig-Holstein made “a Berlin bubble decoupled from the public” responsible for the poor performance. The man said: “The worst thing was the role of the self-satisfied Konrad-Adenauer-Haus, which has degenerated into a job center for exchanged JU and CDU members.” There was strong applause for this, and Laschet replied that the party headquarters needed to be reorganized. This must again “become the party’s thought engine”. The next federal chairman must start a basic program process directly.
Spahn makes a weak speech, Linnemann is well received
There are five applicants for the Laschet successor; all take part in the three-day meeting of the JU in Münster. All are male, come from North Rhine-Westphalia and have been active in the party for a long time. One of them speaks directly to Laschet: Health Minister and CDU Vice Jens Spahn. In the election campaign, Spahn gave himself up as a Laschet confidante, now he wants to be part of the party’s “awakening” and “new beginning”. In his rather weak speech, the 41-year-old tries to innovate and receives long applause: “It’s not about Armin, Jens and Friedrich, but about building a strong team. There can only be a future if we stop showing. ” He went into politics because he wanted to take on responsibility, said Spahn. “I feel like shaping this new CDU.”
Carsten Linnemann, the 44-year-old economic politician, calls on the Union to “also tackle the very hot topics”. These include the future pension system and the controversial issue of civil servants. Linnemann identified the key question: “How do we get a making mentality in Germany?”
Foreign politician Norbert Röttgen is the only one of the five potential candidates for the party chairmanship to speak no greeting, but is in the audience. Occasionally, JUers wear jackets with his name on them. Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus is expected at the meeting on Sunday.
On Saturday, however, there was an indirect rejection from JU boss Tilman Kuban to Friedrich Merz, the former parliamentary group chairman from 20 years ago, who had already twice unsuccessfully applied for party chairmanship. Kuban had welcomed Merz very happily on Friday evening, but told the RTL / ntv broadcasters on Saturday: “Friedrich Merz is a clever person who can certainly also be there as a consultant and supporter.” But the Union now needs “above all more young, fresh and fresh heads in the party leadership”, a “healthy mix” of young and old. The 65-year-old Merz had said the day before: “Young brooms sweep well, but they do old brush knows the corners. “