Markus Söder announces the first parity CSU list for the federal election

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Markus Söder (CSU), Bavaria's Prime Minister and CSU party leader

Photo: Peter Kneffel / dpa

For the first time in its history, the CSU wants to go into the Bundestag election with an equal candidate list.

Party leader Markus Söder announced on Monday, according to participants in a video conference of the CSU board in Munich, that a man and a woman should be taken into account alternately in the list.

Most of the time, Union candidates win their constituencies directly.

A quoted list therefore primarily has a symbolic effect.

In relation to the list, Söder said that the head of the regional group, Alexander Dobrindt, was the "born top candidate".

According to reports, he did not mention any other names; the CSU intends to present its list exactly three months before the election on June 26th.

Because of the corona pandemic, the event will take place in the open air, in the stadium in Söders hometown Nuremberg.

16 percent women in the CSU regional group in the Bundestag

So far, women are clearly in the minority in the CSU federal group in the Bundestag: They only reach 16 percent.

As things stand, only 10 out of 46 Bavarian direct electoral districts are running for the CSU for the Bundestag election in autumn.

Even if all candidates win their direct mandate in Bavaria with a result similar to 2017, the proportion of women in the CSU regional group would then be only slightly higher at 22 percent.

The chairwoman of the Women's Union (FU) Bavaria, Ulrike Scharf, had demanded in the SPIEGEL: “The question must not be asked whether the CSU Bundestag list has equal representation!

Our politicians for the Bundestag must represent society! «

The CSU is having a hard time letting more women hold offices and leadership positions.

In 2019, the CSU base rebelled against an increase in the women's quota at the reform party conference.

At the time, Söder said that the party had no good effect, and that the CSU had to rely on the support of women for its success.

Scharf, chairwoman of the Women's Union, called the incident a "very bitter experience."

On June 20 and 21, the leaders of the CSU and CDU want to tie down the union's common election program in Berlin.

The basic line is that "solid and modern" government is represented, said Söder already shortly before the board meeting at a press conference.

ire / dpa