Countless men from NRW
Starting today, all men who want to become the new strong man of the CDU will drop by in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia (sorry, but in this special case there is actually nothing to be gendered).
Friedrich Merz (North Rhine-Westphalia), who will give a speech in the evening, will
kick off
the Junge Union's »Germany Day«
. The parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus (NRW), Jens Spahn (NRW), Carsten Linnemann (NRW) and the previous chairman Armin Laschet (NRW) will also speak. Only Norbert Röttgen (North Rhine-Westphalia) is missing from the circle of the keenest interested parties. After the last attempt with a man from North Rhine-Westphalia, only men from North Rhine-Westphalia are currently said to have ambitions (by the way, a man from North Rhine-Westphalia writes here).
Incidentally, the still party leader Laschet would have liked to see Prime Minister Daniel Günther (Schleswig-Holstein) as his successor. But he has to contest a state election in the coming year and has apparently declined. In addition, the nice colleagues from North Rhine-Westphalia would certainly not have just let him go first.
"If we continue like this, we will soon no longer be a People's Party," warns Röttgen in an interview with my colleagues Christoph Hickmann (North Rhine-Westphalia) and Martin Knobbe (Bavaria). “But it's not there yet, we can still do it. For that we have to change course now. ”
It looks as if they will continue in the CDU as they did last.
The first tough fight for party leadership was followed by a second tough fight for party leadership. And now the toughest fight for party leadership is about to begin. Some of the participants are the same as in the past. Norbert Röttgen will apparently also run again. "I believe that I can contribute something to the leadership and the future of the CDU," he says in SPIEGEL.
Norbert Röttgen on the crisis in the Union: "The CDU will only remain a people's party if ..."
Pssssssst!
While the CDU now faces weeks, months or years of self-employment, rumors suggest that
a new federal government is still being explored
in Berlin
.
The exact details are not known, however, because those involved have vowed to hold the most discreet exploratory talks in the history of exploratory talks.
At the moment it is not even clear whether the SPD, Greens and FDP will one day announce to the public that they have stopped probing and started governing.
It's all that secret.
According to reports, all negotiators threw their cell phones on the floor days ago, formed a circle, held hands and burned the cell phones while singing the song "Don't Speak" by the group No Doubt.
The mothers of Christian Lindner and Annalena Baerbock are said to have posted missing persons reports.
But if what news agencies write in their previews is correct, then it could be that the public today can actually catch a glimpse of one or the other traffic light probe.
The three parties allegedly want to agree on a
decision-making basis for coalition negotiations
that summarizes the results of the talks so far.
This paper should be submitted to the committees of the respective parties, which can then decide on how to proceed.
Given the current state of the Union (see above), anything but the start of proper coalition negotiations would be a surprise.
Traffic light explorations: the general debate
Italy's corona rebels
In
Italy
, the
vaccination campaign is
actually not
going
badly: 80 percent of
those
over the age of twelve are already fully vaccinated. Nevertheless, the government is now taking new, tough measures: From today, from Bolzano to Palermo, only those who have been vaccinated, recovered or tested will come to their workplaces. Anyone who does not have the relevant proof has to stay at home and their salary is canceled for absenteeism.
This is not a compulsory vaccination through the back door - but through the main entrance.
With this drastic step, Prime Minister Mario Draghi wants to push the vaccination rate up further in order to finally end the state of emergency in the country and to stimulate economic growth.
But his course is risky: last weekend there were riots in Rome in
protest against the planned measure
.
There should be more demonstrations this weekend.
And now dock workers and truck drivers also want to cause blockades.
"People in Italy are used to strict rules against Corona," says my colleague Frank Hornig, SPIEGEL's Italy correspondent.
"Even if it's only a minority - this time Draghi is facing stiff resistance."
Italy argues over the "Green Pass": No vaccination?
No work!
Winner of the year ...
... could be
this year's Christmas
. For the conventional consumer and gift parades are currently looking bad.
Ten weeks before Christmas there is a threat of empty shelves. Manufacturers and dealers across all industries and trades complain about delivery problems and missing parts. In the oldest toy store in the country (over 350 years old and run by the family in the 12th generation), the toy tractors and Lego building blocks are in danger of running out. Customers have to wait three to four months for new washing machines and dishwashers. The right screw in the hardware store takes luck, for a Playstation 5 even a miracle: Only those who put themselves on waiting lists and are quick when the call comes from the specialist shop that the console is now available for a short time comes into play . My colleagues Martin U. Müller and Simon Book describe why this is so after the Corona period in an extremely well-founded and readable report.
The supply bottlenecks may be bad for the global economy.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) has calculated that they will cost the German economy alone 40 billion euros.
For Christmas, however, they could be an asset - a return to what should be in the foreground at Christmas: human closeness, family care, love and solidarity.
Or we just buy the things that can be bought despite all the bottlenecks.
The latest news from the night
RKI President Wieler complains about death threats:
The head of the Robert Koch Institute is sometimes made responsible for corona restrictions - and sometimes seriously threatened.
Now Lothar Wieler has spoken about the risk of his work
Convicted murderer Robert Durst has to be imprisoned for life:
US multimillionaire Robert Durst shot and killed a close friend around 20 years ago, for which he was recently convicted.
Now one thing is certain: he has to stay in prison for the rest of his life
Adele makes the world cry:
the singer released her new single "Easy on Me" and video that night - and caused heartache in people all over the world.
The reactions
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I wish you a happy Friday
Your Markus Feldenkirchen
