Berlin The CDU wants to develop a new basic program. But right at the beginning there is confusion and criticism with one question: who is now working in which specialist commission?
However, there is still no official overview. Ten days later, at least a first paper circulated, on which the chairpersons and deputies were named. But the list caused some astonishment: Some had actually “expressly renounced” and still found themselves on paper. Others remained unconsidered, although they wanted to participate.
The personnel decisions show once again how much it is currently rumbling in the CDU. Merz has been leading the long-standing governing party since January. The CDU must now quickly find its opposition role in the federal government so that it does not also lose the state chancellery in the state elections in Saarland (end of March), in Schleswig-Holstein and in North Rhine-Westphalia (May) after the chancellor’s office and thus its last influence in the federal state Confederation via the Federal Council.
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Usually, according to the CDU, it would take a year to organize the party for the opposition period.
Althusmann wants to move into the Lower Saxony State Chancellery
What speed the CDU has to show in view of the elections in order to reinvent itself, shows the timetable for the basic program. In early summer, for example, a basic values commission is to put a few pages of values on paper. It is intended to serve as a preamble and thus as a guiding principle for the basic program and will already be decided at the party conference in Hanover in September.
After all, the fourth important state election this year is due in Lower Saxony in October: the CDU wants to give up its role as junior partner in the grand coalition and instead move into the state chancellery with top candidate Bernd Althusmann.
He heads a commission that couldn’t be more up-to-date: security of supply. The Minister of Economic Affairs and his deputy Gitta Connemann, head of the Mittelstandsunion (MIT), are not only concerned with energy issues, but also with food and agriculture, infrastructure and transport, construction, housing and services of general interest.
However, fewer of these, but other names on the overview list have raised questions in the CDU. For example, Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer, who is proven to be a representative of the liberal social wing, heads the Commission for Social Security. It is intended to give answers to questions in the areas of pensions, health, care and social assistance. The head of the employee wing, Karl-Josef Laumann, on the other hand, has to be content with the role of deputy. According to the decision, Kretschmer wanted to make a name for himself in the field of demographic change for the 2024 state elections.
Spahn heads the “Prosperity” commission
The North Rhine-Westphalian Minister of Construction, Ina Scharrenbach, is coordinating what the modern state should look like. She has been assigned the interior politician Philipp Amthor as deputy. During the past election period, the man from Greifswald attracted negative attention due to the scandal surrounding the US company Augustus Intelligence, for which he had lobbied and at the same time worked for a fee.
Ex-Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn, responsible for economic policy in the parliamentary group, heads the “Prosperity” commission. It should not only take care of the middle class, taxes and finances or competition, but also of wealth policy and property formation.
The former Federal Minister of Health heads the “Prosperity” commission.
(Photo: dpa)
This causes astonishment: As a minister, the trained banker and his husband bought a villa in Berlin for more than four million euros and not only rejected any inquiries about the circumstances, but also tried to ban reporting on it in court.
The group for international affairs is to be headed by the parliamentary group leader in the Hessian state parliament, Ines Claus. The European politician Daniel Caspary, who comes from Baden-Württemberg, is said to be responsible for the “Security” commission. It deals with the judiciary, the fight against crime and terrorism, and civil protection – these are issues in which the conservative Hessian CDU is more strong. And so the question in the party is: Why don’t Claus and Caspary swap responsibilities?
The personnel decisions reinforce the impression among the Merz critics that he acts like an “autocrat”. It may be that his latest book is the blueprint for the new basic program, it was said. In 2021, in the fight for party leadership, Merz outlined his ideas of democracy and the social market economy in the 21st century on 222 pages.
Opinions change quickly
As leader of the opposition, Merz recently took a position on many current issues such as the war in Ukraine or climate change. However, he often had to change his statements again – which, according to party circles, even his supporters see critically.
He was initially opposed to excluding Russia from the Swift international payment system. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he suddenly advocated it.
The new party leader also drew criticism because he suddenly spoke out in favor of a gas embargo. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens) is said to have even asked the Federation of German Industries to dissuade Merz from his position in view of the possible increase in public pressure, as CDU politicians report.
Dependence on Russian gas is too great. “None of us wants to prolong the war, but some sanctions are useless and hit us harder than the Russians,” the Union said.
How difficult it is for some people to get along with the new boss is also reflected in recent cultural issues. The parliamentary group met shortly before his election for an extraordinary meeting via video conference. The MPs would have tuned in from home, the majority in casual clothing. Merz, meanwhile, was neatly dressed and was outraged that he was almost the only one with a tie. The MPs still tell the anecdote to this day.
More: Friedrich Merz wants to keep the “last big promise of the CDU”.