Reorganization of the CDU: Nobody dares yet

At the Junge Union’s “Germany Day”, CDU boss Laschet took over responsibility for the election debacle. His potential successors showed presence, but did not throw their hat into the ring yet.

The first attempt fails. Jens Spahn is announced. The bass of the entrance music thunders through the hall, the delegates have stood up to clap. Only Spahn doesn’t come. False alarm. A few minutes later, everything goes as planned. The man, who already wanted to become federal chairman of his party in 2018, gives a speech that at least sounds like a new application. “I feel like shaping this new CDU.” And even if it is not explicitly on the agenda: This “Germany Day” is also a stage for the CDU chairmanship question.

Christian Field
ARD capital studio

@ChrFeld

Laschet with self-critical speech

The Junge Union has put a hard analysis of the federal election on paper: “New beginning: Our plan for a modern people’s party”. Conclusion: “The result of the Union in the federal election in 2021 was just as catastrophic as it was avoidable.” The list of shortcomings is long: no clear messages, technical errors in the campaign. Finally: the candidate. Armin Laschet did not reach people’s hearts. “On the contrary: many voters did not vote for the Union because of the availability of staff.”

On Saturday morning, the most important part of the “personnel offer” takes the stage: the top candidate. Laschet knew that it could get uncomfortable. Nevertheless he is there – in contrast to the CSU chairman Markus Söder, who canceled. To the displeasure of many delegates. And so Laschet earned a lot of respect before he even said a word. He is at peace with himself, gives a very self-critical speech, perhaps one of his best in a long time, you say here: “I am responsible for the election campaign, for the campaign, and no one else.” Outlook on the opposition period, in which he himself will only play a minor role in a few months.

Spahn is well received

So who should lead the federal CDU into a “new beginning”? Whenever management tasks had to be distributed in the past few years, men from North Rhine-Westphalia sat on the staff carousel. Jens Spahn is one of them. If you ask around in the party, not only flattering descriptions come up: too ambitious, too many mistakes in the corona pandemic. A generation change, yes, but also a bit of establishment. In a certain way, as a team partner of Laschet, he is also part of the election debacle. That doesn’t make appearing in Münster any easier.

But his ideas for the future of the party seem to be arriving in the hall. More substantive debate, clear main lines of what the Union stands for. A future team must show that “now it’s the turn of the next generation”. Spahn tries to serve the breadth of the People’s Party: internal security, economy, family. More respect for police officers, for example, or sentences like – you have to earn what you spend. Family, an immutable value for the CDU. That catches on with the delegates. No official application speech and yet so clear that everyone here understood it. At least Spahn’s ideas of where the journey with him could go are much more than the critical inventory by Friedrich Merz the evening before.

Röttgen observed

And yet there is a strange mood in the party. Who should do it? This is not clear to many in the Junge Union either. Somehow they are all there who are interested and yet no one really comes out of cover. Norbert Röttgen swarms through the rows of chairs as an invited guest in the afternoon. A small fan base has gathered around him. “Röttgen” is written on their sweaters. Behind is a good-humored Norbert Röttgen. He is there. He was seen. But he won’t talk. And so he leaves a little later. Just take a look.

Linnemann speaks – briefly

They are stalking each other. You already know that in the party. This has been going on for two years now. One is new to the ranks of potential candidates – Carsten Linnemann. When he enters the hall, you might think they want to drive him on stage, maybe to throw his hat into the ring? But the head of the SME and Economic Union will not do that. Linnemann only speaks briefly, not a big agenda like Spahn.

But the impression is likely to be deceptive. Linnemann didn’t accidentally end up in the Junge Union’s new pitch format. The message – this is where the fresh faces speak. That means: short and fast, place content using the speed dating method. Five points where and how the party should be located in the future. Not the Chancellery, but the party should be the place of decision again, he called to the delegates. “The social market economy is timeless.” Now a sentence like: “Let’s do this together. I’m ready for it.” Those who had hoped for it had to be disappointed today.

They tact and wait. In the end, everyone has to be careful not to hesitate too long. Tomorrow someone will speak who has already shown that he does not hesitate for long – Ralph Brinkhaus. The parliamentary group leader of the Union has already created facts on Tuesday after the lost general election, at least in the parliamentary group, and was re-elected in spite of all opposition. At least the competition should listen carefully to his speech tomorrow.