CDU politician Friedrich Merz has praised the party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer for their "courageous, militant forward-looking speech" at the party congress in Leipzig. Unlike the SPD, the CDU was loyal to its party leaders. The party congress responded with a murmur and applause.
An attack on Kramp-Karrenbauer remained during his several-minute speech. He cited the SPD as a warning example of the damage it inflicts when a party deals too much with internal staff disputes. The years of the CDU-led government had been "good years for Germany," said Merz.
Merz had recently caused anger in his own party when he criticized the appearance of the grand coalition as "grotesque". Within the party he is regarded as rival Kramp-Karrenbauers to the chancellor candidate. The party leader had previously offered her resignation if she finds no support for her course.
In one point, however, Merz clearly distinguished himself from Kramp-Karrenbauer and the CDU leadership. Groups such as the conservative values union and the Liberal Union of the Middle have to "have their place in the Union," he said. The CDU could "find no approval if we exclude within the own party single or entire groups," he said. The current party leadership, however, sees the activities of these groups critical.
Merz received just under two minutes of applause for his party congress appearance. Kramp-Karrenbauer had previously received standing ovations for seven minutes.
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