As of: February 7, 2024, 5:30 p.m
By: Georg Anastasiadis
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CDU leader Friedrich Merz is thinking out loud about a black-green coalition and is making the next bold move, comments Georg Anastasiadis, editor-in-chief of the Münchner Merkur.
© Michael Kappeler/dpa/Klaus Haag
CDU leader Merz suddenly thinks a coalition with the Greens is a good idea.
He once again confused the already unsettled Union voters with his thoughtless statement.
A comment by Georg Anastasiadis.
Friedrich Merz has struck again.
The Greens, whom the opposition leader declared some time ago to be the “main opponent in the government,” are now a welcome coalition partner for him again.
What does the sudden change of heart mean?
Probably just that the Chancellor is right and Merz is actually a “mimosa”.
The sensitive Sauerlander was obviously so angry about the verbal punch that Olaf Scholz recently gave him in the Bundestag that he wanted revenge - and is now trying to bully the SPD with advances on the Greens.
Merz did not consider that in his anger he was deeply confusing his voters
In his anger, Merz just didn't take into account the fact that he was deeply confusing his voters.
The deeper reason why the CDU and CSU, despite the frightening weakness of the traffic lights in the federal government, hardly get beyond a modest 30 percent, is that many more conservative-minded citizens no longer trust the Union since Angela Merkel.
Some people are so afraid of voting for the Union and getting the Greens that they prefer to vote for the radical “alternative”.
Or don't vote at all.
With his thoughtless statement, Merz, who is actually heading for a grand coalition with the SPD (or, if the Liberals still exist in the next Bundestag, a “Germany coalition” with the SPD and FDP), has completely unnecessarily given new fuel to this fear - and once again shown that the CDU boss unfortunately always has to be prepared for spontaneous excursions into various faux pas.
The desperation in Markus Söder's CSU is understandable: their successful business model in Bavaria is precisely the differentiation from the Greens and their patronizing politics.
In return, the Christian Socialists even accept their main nuisance, Hubert Aiwanger, as a minor coalition evil.
George Anastasiadis