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Fight for CDU chairmanship: Merz sees party in serious crisis

2021-11-21T16:04:17.909Z


In the fight for the CDU chairmanship, Friedrich Merz wants to prevail against his opponents. With him, the CDU should become more family-friendly and return to the People's Party.


In the fight for the CDU chairmanship, Friedrich Merz wants to prevail against his opponents.

With him, the CDU should become more family-friendly and return to the People's Party.

Berlin - All good things come in threes: After two failed attempts, CDU politician Friedrich Merz is now trying for the third time to become party chairman.

The possible successor of Armin Laschet is alarmed about the state of his party - and has some suggestions for improvement.

Family politician Friedrich Merz?

CDU is to become a "family-friendly employer"

From December 6th, the members of the CDU elect the new party chairman. Friedrich Merz already expected good chances against his competitors Norbert Röttgen and Helge Braun: The position of the party is completely different due to the opposition role and the codecision of the grassroots, according to the economic politician in an interview with

Bild am Sonntag

.

If the 66-year-old is elected chairman in December, he wants to tackle one topic above all: the family-friendliness of the CDU.

“First of all, with me as chairman, the CDU will become a very family-friendly employer.

We are setting a good example, ”said Merz in an interview.

Specifically, for example, he wants to prevent young mothers and fathers from taking time off from having a negative impact on their careers.

“They have to be recognized like the job.

In addition, proper childcare is required everywhere in the professional environment, including in our party headquarters. "

Changes in the CDU: Merz wants to abolish long night meetings

With his designated Secretary General Mario Czaja and his deputy Christina Stumpp, Merz himself has two young parents in his team whom he wants to support. "I will always be considerate of the families of both of them, because I don't want them to tell me one day: I haven't seen my children often enough because of you." In retrospect, the father of three regrets that he doesn't spend enough time with had his children. "I would like to enable my younger colleagues to do that differently today."

The former opposition leader of the party also made a suggestion: "We will agree to abolish the long night meetings and to keep the weekends free as far as possible, especially Sunday," he explained to

Bild am Sonntag

.

In addition, digital formats should be retained even after the pandemic.

When asked whether Friedrich Merz was going to be a family politician, he replied: “Friedrich Merz, who was always open to new and, above all, good new ideas.

Today more than ever I try to see our world through the eyes of our children. "

Crisis of the CDU: Merz laments the endangerment of the people's party character

But there is also room for improvement outside of family policy, according to Merz: The CDU is currently in a serious crisis and its character as a people's party is at risk, according to the politician. "We no longer have opinion leadership on any topic, not even in economic policy," complained Merz. Even among the electorate, the CDU no longer has the highest percentage of voters in any age group, “not even among those over 60”.

Despite the opposition role, the party must also be prepared to assume responsibility as a government at any time, according to Merz.

"That can happen earlier than in four years, but it can also take a lot longer." His most important goal is therefore to enable the party to put forward a promising candidate for Chancellor in the 2025 federal election.

(sf)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2021-11-21

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