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CSU boss Markus Söder
Photo: Sven Hoppe / dpa
The foyer of the Hanns Seidel Foundation in Munich is decorated with historical election posters.
"Germany before the decision: freedom or socialism" can be read there, for example, from 1976. Or: "Europe's task: peace", from 1984.
Markus Söder poses in front of the poster: "So that a Bavarian becomes Chancellor", it illustrated Franz Josef Strauss's national election campaign in 1980. Secretary General Markus Blume joked him there later, but it is not entirely clear who is driving it Power is, the motive counts.
75 years of the CSU, the date sounds like brass music under a Gamsbarth hat or echoes of the new dirndl drama series Oktoberfest 1900. In fact, on Saturday in Munich, the weather alone is exuberant white-blue, everything else the Bavarian state party would have its weather gods too resented.
Sober celebration and non-alcoholic sparkling wine
Otherwise it was unusually sober: the CSU had to cancel the planned anniversary party congress due to Corona.
Instead, only a few guests were allowed to watch the political talk broadcast on the Internet with Söder from a lecture hall of the party foundation.
The celebrated date, September 12, 1945, refers to the founding of the party in Munich, followed by other local foundations before the regional association was formed in January 1946.
Between the former CSU chairmen Theo Waigel, Edmund Stoiber and Erwin Huber, several places remain free at the short ceremony, the virus prevention.
Apart from the poster episode, Söder hardly allows himself a pun and he routinely catches it in the talk, his eternal game.
"Perhaps there is a reason why a CSU has never been chancellor," says Söder.
"We are honored if we are brought into conversation about it."
But you want overall success.
Regarding the candidacy for chancellor, the following applies: "The CDU has a clear right to propose."
Then Söder says that he experiences an "inner thrust of joy" every time he crosses the Bavarian border on the way back from Berlin.
One of the many variations of his sentence that his place is in Bavaria.
Programmatically, Söder is following the tradition of the party reformers Stoiber and Franz Josef Strauss at the CSU anniversary.
The CSU has "managed to renew itself again and again," he says, which is why it is still there, even if it was sometimes a bit "rustic".
"Most of the other parties run out of batteries at some point."
Subtext: its not.
What does Söder want his party?
"Success"
Söder emphasizes the value of internal party discussions, so far not exactly a hallmark of his time as chairman.
He says: "I was also checked by Horst Seehofer."
Its short clip on the video screen causes laughter in the hall.
"I wouldn't do anything differently," says Seehofer.
Stoiber, on the other hand, comes across as unusually thoughtful: he explained too little about politics to people during his reign.
Söder is asked what he wishes for the party.
He could now say something pathetic about political ethics or human service.
He only says one word: "Success".
The CSU is a "membrane" and "above all not ideological".
Söder opposes the "teaching rhetoric that has found its way into our country so incredibly".
Then the stream comes to an end, and the CSU leadership shifts further retrospect to a publication freshly published by the foundation with the title "75 revelations about a party", but one looks in vain for anything too unpleasant such as amigo affairs.
By pressing a button on a red, freshly disinfected bumper, Söder activates the new website csu-geschichte.de from the small stage, with a "Hall of Fame" of the most famous Christian socialites.
Then there is alcohol-free sparkling wine for toasting at a distance.
"To our community," says Söder.
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