Friedrich Merz is to be confirmed as party leader at the CDU party conference on Saturday.
In advance, he calls for a fundamental realignment.
Berlin – After the defeat in the 2021 federal election and the formation of the traffic light coalition, the Union found itself in the opposition.
After 16 years in government, the party has not yet arrived there either, said the designated CDU leader* Friedrich Merz* on Friday before his planned election to succeed Armin Laschet at the CDU party conference* on Saturday (01/22/2022).
Merz called the state of the party "sobering".
He now wants to fundamentally reposition it.
"We have only reached 24.1 percent of the voters and 19 percent of those eligible to vote in Germany," said Friedrich Merz, looking back on the results of the federal elections before the CDU party conference.
"It almost doesn't get any more brutal than that." For the CDU, the "big question" is whether it can remain a people's party and achieve election results of "well over 30 percent" again, said Friedrich Merz in the ARD morning magazine *.
That is not certain.
CDU party conference: Merz wants an 80 percent result
The CDU is therefore faced with the difficult task of permanently binding voter groups “across all generations” and “all forms of coexistence” as a “centrist party”, according to Merz.
He described the situation among young voters as “dramatic”.
The CDU also neglected the whole issue of digitization.
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In December 2021, Friedrich Merz (centre) prevailed against Helge Braun (left) and Norbert Röttgen (right) in the member survey.
At the CDU party conference on Saturday, he is to be confirmed as party leader.
(archive photo)
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
In December 2021, the 66-year-old Merz clearly prevailed against his opponents Helge Braun * and Norbert Röttgen * in a member survey for party chairmanship with 62.1 percent of the votes.
At the CDU party conference on Saturday, Merz is to be elected as the new chairman of the CDU.
A confirmation by postal vote is then required, as the event will only take place digitally.
For his election, Merz wanted a result of at least 80 percent.
"An eight before the comma would be nice," he told the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
CDU party conference: NRW Prime Minister calls on Merz to take a middle course
Before the CDU party conference, several party friends addressed demands in the direction of the designated chairman, who had repeatedly polarized and is considered a conservative.
North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Henrik Wüst called for Friedrich Merz to take a middle course, citing "innovation, openness to technology, socio-political liberality" and "diversity and social policy that takes city and country into account" as important topics.
There is "still a lot of work to be done here," said Wüst, who is facing state elections in May, the SZ.
The CDU must "recognizably set the pace for good labor and social policy for people," said the chairman of the workers' group of the Union faction, Axel Knoerig, to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
The party's message must "again essentially be that good work pays off."
CDU party conference: Armin Laschet sees the SPD as a role model
When it comes to cohesion, the outgoing party leader Armin Laschet* sees the SPD* as a role model.
"The SPD showed us that you can win elections with unity," said the failed chancellor candidate to RTL and Ntv.
"We have to learn that again.
Voters do not vote for a divided party.”
CSU General Secretary* Markus Blume announced weekly talks between the leaders of the Union parties.
"I think it's good and important to coordinate regularly among party leaders, parliamentary group leaders and general secretaries," said Blume of the daily newspaper Welt.
The cross shots of the Bavarian sister party in the election campaign, including by its chairman Markus Söder *, are considered in the CDU as a factor for the miserable departure in the 2021 federal election *.
(ms/AFP)
*fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
List of rubrics: © Michael Kappeler/dpa
