In the federal election, the Thuringian CDU achieved a historically poor result.
What follows from this for the next few years?
At a state party conference in Suhl, some Christian Democrats let off steam, while others were already thinking of the year 2024.
Suhl - lick wounds and continue: The Thuringian CDU dealt with its historically poor performance in the federal elections at a state party conference - and hardly left a good hair on the Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet.
Thuringia's CDU regional chief Christian Hirte described the result for the Christian Democrats in the Free State as "disastrous" in front of around 150 delegates in Suhl on Saturday.
"The CDU was voted out," said Hirte.
One can expect that there will be a new Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) before Christmas.
He made it clear that they were betting on the wrong candidate: "Our own Union family - and I do not exclude ourselves in Thuringia - has disaffected with our top candidate," said Hirte.
The CDU's election campaign also suffered from the issues, emphasized Hirte.
This has become particularly clear in the eastern German federal states.
It was not possible there to adequately address the special situation in the new federal states.
The Christian Democrats had achieved 16.9 percent in the Bundestag election in Thuringia - their worst result in the Free State so far in a Bundestag election.
It landed in third place for the first time - behind AfD and SPD.
The CDU in Thuringia had won the 2017 federal election.
At that time, she also got all eight direct mandates in the constituencies.
She had to give up seven of them again.
Several CDU members who spoke up in Suhl linked the party's poor performance primarily with what they saw as the wrong candidate, Armin Laschet.
Some showed their enthusiasm for Friedrich Merz (CDU), others for Markus Söder (CSU).
Some also named the failed state election and the role of the CDU in the election of FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich as obstacles in the Thuringian election campaign.
The controversial ex-Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution Hans-Georg Maaßen (CDU) urged a new start in terms of personnel in the CDU at the federal level.
“But that must apply to the entire federal executive board.
A new profile of a new CDU can only exist with new people - and people who do not belong to the cadres who have been responsible for the rest of the world so far, ”said Maaßen.
CDU parliamentary group leader Mario Voigt also tried to spread optimism in places: “We want to be back in 2024,” Voigt called to the delegates.
Several elections are planned for 2024 - including the European elections, district elections and - if the minority government holds until then - a state election.
Voigt ruled out a new version of the stability mechanism at the party congress.
"There is no longer a stability mechanism, there will no longer be one, we will no longer agree to it," said Voigt resolutely.
While the Thuringian CDU leadership found the reasons for the devastating federal election primarily in the federal government, two motions submitted at short notice indicated another perspective: “The election of a new party leader is also associated with a new election of the entire federal executive committee.
(...) The CDU Thuringia should also follow this example, ”it said in a motion that was accepted at the end of the party congress.
It also states that the state board elections planned for 2022 are to be carried out with “broad grassroots participation”.
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Bad mood in the Thuringian CDU base
For some in the Thuringian CDU, the result of the federal election is a "catastrophe".
The first calls for personnel consequences at the top of the party in the federal government are loud.
Whether and how much there is rumbling in the base could soon become clearer.
Bad mood in the Thuringian CDU base
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“Not with Armin Laschet” - CDU base in the east is going on the barricades
The SPD leader railed against the loser Armin Laschet.
The CDU chairman should finally recognize the electoral defeat.
In the CDU, too, more and more people are calling for his resignation.
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“Not with Armin Laschet” - CDU base in the east is going on the barricades
Dulig: East has a share in SPD success in federal elections
Saxony's SPD state chairman, Martin Dulig, believes that his party in Saxony and in the east played a key role in their success in the federal elections.
In the east there were twice as many gains as in the west, he said on Friday in Dresden.
Otherwise the majority in the federal government might have looked different.
Dulig: East has a share in SPD success in federal elections
The CDU member of the South Thuringian state parliament, Michael Heym, went even further and urged him to hurry.
He called for earlier state board elections, which are currently only planned for September 2022.
He also warned against dragging out the member survey too long.
Among other things, the former CDU state party and parliamentary group leader Mike Mohring had supported the South Thuringian application.
On the sidelines of the party congress, Mohring said that it would fall short if only the federal government was to blame for the election result.
“I believe that we will only survive the fateful year 2024 if we settle our internal differences of opinion.” He was ready to take the first step and “to shake hands”.
dpa
