CSU General Secretary Huber: "Will run into bottlenecks in winter because of Russia sanctions"

Created: 07/15/2022, 19:49

By: Christian Deutschländer

Met with the Munich Merkur for an interview: CSU General Secretary Martin Huber.

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Peter Kneffel

CSU General Secretary Martin Huber spoke to the Munich newspaper Merkur about high inflation, the Ukraine war and quarrels about his dissertation.

Munich – A general who has been under fire since day one: CSU MP Martin Huber took up his new post as general secretary in May without a grace period.

He is supposed to manage a CSU that is also unsettled after Corona, the world situation has changed dramatically, and privately he is still stuck with the question of alleged plagiarism in his dissertation.

We met Huber in Munich for an interview.

Stephan Mayer failed and left, now your overshadowed start as general secretary: the attack department is fully on the defensive.

How bitter is that for the CSU?

"According to current polls, the CSU is 40 percent, Markus Söder has 59 percent approval in Bavaria.

Which defense do you mean?”

CSU generals used to be loud and edgy.

Little was heard from you.

Your style - or are you silent as long as your plagiarism scandal smolders?

"No.

We're talking right now, aren't we?

The focus is different.

After Corona, we have to reawaken party life, hold countless grassroots talks, collect proposals for the new basic program.

The interest and participation is huge, we already have several hundred submissions.

If necessary, I also show a clear edge – but not haphazardly.”

Are you still Dr.

Huber, or just Huber?

"I'm completely unpretentious.

For most people, I'm just Martin anyway."

Will the university take away your PhD?

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“The university checks.

I'll wait."

clear conscience?

"I have written the work to the best of my knowledge and belief."

Let's look at the government in Munich.

Your coalition partner Aiwanger has internally suggested that you pull the emergency brake on the trunk line, which is worth billions.

Does he say what many think?

"No.

The second regular route is very, very important for the whole of southern Bavaria.

Not pursuing the project would be fundamentally wrong.

We are appalled that the Greens and FDP in Munich are against the project.

And now FDP Transport Minister Volker Wissing needs a clear commitment to the main route - it was absurd how he refused to engage in dialogue.

And then the railway has to explain exactly why the costs have suddenly risen so much.”

Your party deputy Manfred Weber is openly promoting black and green.

Is the big tree hugging going on again in the CSU?

“Coalition issues really don’t matter now.

Many people worry about how they will get through the winter with this inflation and energy shortage.

These are the questions that must concern us.

The situation is dramatic.

But one thing is clear: In Bavaria we definitely don't want black and green, but a middle-class majority."

The Russian dependency on the Union government in Berlin got us into trouble for 16 years.

Isn't it about time that the CSU also acknowledged mistakes?

“We always have to talk about what we can do better.

But it's not that easy to pretend that everyone else was just in the opposition.

The SPD was in the government for twelve years and the decisive course was set with a broad social consensus.

And now we are experiencing a traffic light coalition that fights like tinkers on all issues.

They can't even manage to extend the three nuclear power plants that can supply ten million households with energy."

Foreign Minister Baerbock says: We are sticking to all sanctions without any ifs or buts.

Would you agree with that?

“We have to keep up the pressure on Russia.

But of course we can already see that the sanctions will hit us too.

We will run into bottlenecks in winter.”

So maybe there will be a situation where you have to question the sanctions?

"We support Ukraine out of conviction, but we also have to look at our own people: Freezing for peace is not a viable concept.

What we're seeing right now: Guns are helping Ukraine faster than sanctions.

The federal government has to step up there.”

(Interview: Christian Deutschländer)