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Friedrich Merz
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Maja Hitij / Getty Images
The CDU social wing warns Friedrich Merz against an overly one-sided business-friendly orientation.
There is concern that Merz could result in a "huge imbalance in the parliamentary group and party in favor of the economic wing," said the Vice-Federal Chairman of the Christian Democratic Workers' Union (CDA), Dennis Radtke, the "Handelsblatt".
If the Union wanted to become the social conscience in the country again, it would "not succeed if the narrow party leadership consists almost exclusively of members of the SME Union and the Economic Council," said Radtke.
"Merz will have to emancipate himself a bit from the Ultras in his fan curve if he wants to get the CDU back on the road to success," he demanded.
Radtke warned of serious consequences for the party if it fixated too one-sidedly on economic policy.
If Merz "tear off all intra-party bridges to the Merkel era, to the liberals and socialists in a howl of triumph," the Union will "inevitably take the path of our sisters in the Netherlands, Italy and France."
Conservative parties had recently incurred losses there.
In mid-December, the CDU base decided in a member survey that Merz should become the new party leader.
The 400,000 or so party members were able to make a preliminary decision on the chairmanship for the first time in the history of the CDU.
Officially, the new party leader of the 1001 delegates has to attend a digital party congress on 21./22.
January to be elected.
It is considered certain that the delegates will stick to the vote of the members.
Then Merz must be confirmed by postal vote.
On Monday, photos of Merz were published by the Bavarian Prime Minister at a meeting with CSU leader Markus Söder (read more here).
At first it was not possible to find out what both were talking about.
According to reports, it was about the political vote between the two sister parties.
as / AFP
