For a possible new start in terms of personnel for the federal CDU, Lower Saxony’s CDU boss Bernd Althusmann expects a clear schedule after the talks on Monday. “I am assuming that the presidium will decide on a clear schedule that shows the way to a special party conference,” said Althusmann of the German press agency.
In Althusmann’s opinion, the members should be more involved in the election of a possible new federal chairman. Especially when it comes down to a controversial decision between several candidates. “In my opinion, the CDU has been deeply divided since the tight internal party decisions. The dispute between the CDU and CSU over the question of the candidate for chancellor did the rest. That was a heavy burden in the election campaign.”
CDU boss Armin Laschet has announced that he wants to submit a proposal to the party’s top bodies this Monday for a new line-up. He would like to moderate this process himself. First of all, the closest tour around Laschet, the Presidium, comes together in Berlin at 9 a.m. The larger federal board meets from 11 a.m.
When asked who will lead the CDU in the future, Althusmann said that Friedrich Merz had “a certain natural claim to leadership”. He may not be the young face in terms of age, but he enjoys the greatest approval within the party if it comes to a member survey. “But, as I understand it, he doesn’t want to go into another argument with well-known candidates like Jens Spahn, Norbert Röttgen or others.”
Althusmann sees Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther as a possible candidate for the CDU chairmanship. “He is young and still has government experience. Although he is facing a state election next year, that does not have to be an exclusion criterion.” Günther probably does not want to run for the party chairmanship. Of the world he said, “I’m happy to help with the reorganization of the federal government, but not in the front line.” He advocated realigning the CDU this year. “Overall, we need a new start and should therefore re-elect our entire board of directors – in the course of this year.” Günther criticized the fact that “in the debate about the reorganization of the party only men always play a role. That bothers me extremely.” (11.10.2021)
FDP confirms red lines before traffic light talks
Before the further exploratory talks between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP to form a traffic light coalition, the parliamentary manager of the FDP parliamentary group, Marco Buschmann, confirms the framework for a possible alliance. “The red lines of the FDP are well known: no tax increases and no loosening of the debt brake of our Basic Law,” says Buschmann mirrors. There are still other points of friction, but all three parties are “ambitious” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/. “The talks must show whether there is friction energy for an impulse forward. So far, everything has been very serious professional. It is clear to everyone involved: It’s about our country. “
The SPD, Greens and FDP will continue to talk on Monday about the formation of a traffic light coalition. Representatives of the three parties will meet in Berlin in the morning for in-depth exploratory talks. Further meetings are announced for Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesday and Thursday the general secretaries of the parties want to continue working in small groups, while SPD chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz travels to Washington to meet the G-20 finance ministers.
The exploratory talks point to the greatest conflicts over taxes, debts and the financing of climate protection measures. Green co-leader Robert Habeck emphasized on Sunday evening how important it is to succeed in negotiations with the FDP. “Failure is actually not an option,” he said on the ZDF program “Berlin direkt”. If a coalition of the SPD and Union were to emerge again, Germany would “go nuts” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/. “We have to pull ourselves together a bit,” said Habeck. The finances are of course a “huge problem”.
The aim is to draw an interim balance at the end of the week. Then, above all, the FDP and the Greens want to decide whether to enter into coalition negotiations with the SPD – or whether there may have to be another exploratory round. The Greens and FDP have explicitly kept the possibility of a Jamaica coalition with the Union open. (11.10.2021)
Merz sharply criticizes CSU: “Low point of our cooperation”
The CDU politician Friedrich Merz has sharply criticized the behavior of the sister party CSU in the election campaign. “The year 2021 marks a low point in our cooperation and our dealings with one another,” he wrote in his newsletter sent on Saturday. “We don’t all have to be completely convinced of every decision at all times. But just like in the weeks leading up to the election, in a Union that still calls itself” bourgeois “people simply don’t get along with each other. That was styleless, disrespectful and sometimes rowdy. “
In the CSU, during the election campaign, there were repeatedly critical tones in the direction of the Union Chancellor candidate and CDU leader Armin Laschet. He was defeated by CSU leader Markus Söder in the power struggle for the Union’s candidacy for chancellor. Merz ‘statements should be understood as a criticism of Söder, whom he did not mention by name. On Saturday, this again attributed the poor election result of the Union to the unpopular candidate for Chancellor Laschet and a weak election campaign strategy. “It’s just like that: In the end, the Germans wanted a different candidate for chancellor than the one that the CDU and CSU have put up,” said the CSU boss.
“We have a responsibility that goes beyond our parties and individual people and their personal interests in power,” wrote Merz in his “#MerzMail” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/. “Anyone who doesn’t understand that, judges more Destruction than a lost federal election can do on its own. ” The work in the Union and between the CDU and CSU is now facing a fundamental new beginning, wrote Merz. “Hopefully everyone understands the dimensions of this challenge. A serious defeat can also offer the chance of a good new start.” (10/10/2021)
Altmaier and Kramp-Karrenbauer renounce parliamentary mandates
Federal Minister of Economics Peter Altmaier and Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (both CDU) are renouncing their parliamentary mandates. The Saarland Prime Minister and CDU state chairman Tobias Hans announced in Saarbrücken.
It is important to bring about a generation change now, said Altmaier. “Renewal is possible, you just have to want it,” he added. Kramp-Karrenbauer said it was not enough just to say that the country and the party were more important than one’s own political career. Now is a situation “where you have to do it”. The former CDU federal chairman Kramp-Karrenbauer was elected to the Bundestag via the top spot on the state list. Altmaier started in second place.
By renouncing the mandate, they are making room for two younger party friends in the Union parliamentary group. Nadine Schön is 38 years old and has been a member of the Bundestag since 2009. She helped negotiate when the SPD and CDU agreed in principle on a binding quota for women on executive boards at the end of 2020. Markus Uhl (41) was elected to the Bundestag for the first time in 2017. Before that, the business administration graduate worked in the Saarland State Chancellery from 2012 to 2017, most recently as head of department. (09.10.2021)
CSU boss Söder criticizes Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet
CSU boss Markus Söder attributes the bad result of the union in the federal election to the unpopular candidate for chancellor Armin Laschet (CDU) and a weak campaign strategy. “It’s just like that: In the end, the Germans wanted a different candidate for chancellor than the one put up by the CDU and CSU,” said Söder on Saturday at the national assembly of the Junge Union in Deggendorf. “Just as it played a role that we weren’t quite sure from the start which strategy we were actually pursuing in terms of content.”
The CSU had hoped for “substantive accents of renewal”. As an example, Söder cited the demand for tax relief for the middle class, company founders and top performers. “Just pointing out that nothing will change is not motivation, not stimulation.”
Without naming the CDU by name, Söder called on the sister party not to ingratiate themselves with the FDP and the Greens in Berlin in order to remain in the government. “It is the turn of the traffic light,” said the CSU boss. It is difficult to just sit in front of the door and wait for the traffic light to pull you in if you happen to be stuck in negotiations. “We are not just the permanent replacement candidate.”
Söder called the election defeat a turning point for the CDU and CSU. “The Union has lost everywhere, broadly and deeply. (…) We are only fourth among the young voters.” The CSU also had a bad result, “a very bad one,” said Söder. “It was also the case that our own staff did not pull as we expected.” (09.10.2021)
Habeck: “A lot of conflicts in terms of content”
In the explorations with the SPD and FDP about a traffic light coalition, there are still some differences, according to the Greens co-chairman Robert Habeck – especially when it comes to taxes, debts and the financing of climate protection measures. “We have a lot of conflicts in terms of content, so the trusting atmosphere and the effort to shape a different style in terms of form should not hide the fact that it is far from over and that the differences between the parties are sometimes considerable. “
There were a lot of points that were fought over, argued and partly not resolved, said Habeck. When asked which will be the most difficult topic of the next few weeks, he replies: “Well, there are recognizable differences between us and perhaps also the SPD and the FDP on the subject of finance. And finance does not only mean the budget, but also the investment opportunities for to provide climate protection. “
In Habeck’s opinion, Germany should advocate easing the requirements for debt repayment at EU level. The corona crisis drove European countries into debt. He warned: “If you force them to repay this debt, as provided for in the Stability and Growth Pact, via a very strict debt rule, then southern European countries will only succeed with massive cuts in their social budgets, and in the end fascism will rule.” The exploratory talks between the SPD, the Greens and the FDP are to continue on Monday in Berlin. (09.10.2021)