The situation on Wednesday: Where is the C?

Get out of the extras role

Odd Andersen / AFP

At the CDU party congress Angela Merkel was only the Greetings Chancellor with extras role. On Wednesday in the Bundestag, the head of government is again in the center. Behind agenda item I.9 "Section 04 / Federal Chancellor and Federal Chancellery" is the traditional general debate on the policy of the Federal Government.

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Merkel's speech and the subsequent settlement of the opposition fall into a strange interim. The Union and the SPD still do not know whether they want to go together until the end of the legislature.

The CDU , which was observed in Leipzig, is in the midst of the long and torturous divorce process from its non-chairman. She would like to risk the departure, but does not like the "repair operation" Federal Government (Kramp-Karrenbauer) just so dense.

The SPD in turn is still looking for a new leadership and for themselves. We may see more clearly on the weekend when it is announced who the Social Democratic base at the top wishes: the GroKo preservers Olaf Scholz and Klara Geywitz or the skeptics Saskia Esken and Norbert Walter-Borjans.

Merkel will pretend that this is none of her business. She will praise the climate package and the land-rent compromise, and she will point out that Germany will take over the EU Presidency in the middle of next year. And of course she should still be Chancellor. Find the Chancellor.

• Merkel at the CDU party congress: And turned away from the future

The DU is still looking for his C

Paul Zinken / DPA

"Jute Tach, we ought to swap the letters over there." That's what you have to imagine when last Thursday a few camouflage Greenpeace activists approached the gate of the Konrad Adenauer House. A short time later, the squad marched in the fair construction outfit with the dismounted, not exactly small red C of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, short CDU, through the main entrance. On the facade of the party headquarters remained the DU and a banner that explained the meaning of the action shortly before the congress: protest against the climate policy of the CDU.

But where is the C now? A copy was spotted several times, but the original is "in a safe place," says Greenpeace. On Friday, the C should be public again, in Berlin at the big Fridays For Future demo, it was announced on Twitter. Whether it will be the real C or just his double? Who knows.

The environmental organization is known for its spectacular PR numbers. In this case, however, the CDU responded surprisingly smoothly: Chair and Secretary General commented coolly and humorously, in the social media countered @IchBinDasDU the Twitter by @IchBinDasC.

The CDU has apparently learned from the Rezo-Gau: The new "communication concept" also contains "ad-hoc strategies to act in 'breaking news' situations," said CDU Federal Managing Director Stefan Hennewig the SPIEGEL not without pride.

At some point, but is also over with fun and ad hoc. The DU wants her C back. "Greenpeace has had his PR," says Hennewig. It is assumed that the stolen letter will soon be back in the party headquarters.

• Posse to the C: Actually a coup

From the Leyens Commissioners are available for election

Michael Kappeler / DPA

Ursula von der Leyen is almost at the finish. On Wednesday, the Strasbourg European Parliament will vote on the team of the new EU Commission President. Three candidates had to replace the CDU politician in advance, but now seems a majority for the eleven women and 15 men safely, especially since the vote is not secret, but by name. The risk that the Leyen votes against from their own camp - as in their election in July - is therefore much lower.

On 1 December, the German EU boss can then officially start. Their first major task will be to finally bring Britain out of the EU by the end of January. Provided that Boris Johnson gets a majority for the Brexit deal after a possible election victory in mid-December.

Then the work of the Leyens Commissioners would really start: a free trade agreement must be negotiated with the non-EU-British. And above all, Leyen must keep the rest of the Union together.

• How the federal government neglects European politics: The wretch in the middle

Loser of the day ... ...

Stefan Sauer / DPA

... is the Bundeswehr. The troupe needs offspring, so of course it has to be in the social media at the start. In an Instagram story now appeared the image of a Wehrmacht uniform, decorated with iron crosses and wounded badges with Wehrmacht helmet and swastika on. "Retro" flashed there, and under it said: "#Mode is also an aspect. To this day, military style elements in the #HauteCouture." The "Bild" newspaper has made public the now deleted post including screenshot. A spokesman for Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer called the story "thoughtless" and "insensitive". What?

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The latest news from the night

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Come well through the day.

cordially
Yours, Philipp Wittrock