The Union is in the polls at 30 percent, so everything is sunshine? The next (Bundestag) election can come? Rather not. Something is brewing. Also about Friedrich Merz.
The CDU basic program is therefore all the more important. It has to work. Especially since the number of CDU members is falling, continuously.
There are still 384,000 in 17 state, 27 district, 325 district, more than 10,000 local associations. Filling them up hasn’t gotten any easier under Merz either.
Then the unions. There are seven, from the Young Union to the Women’s Union to the Seniors’ Union. In addition, there is the Evangelical Working Group and the students in the RCDS. Who has grown up politically in it, Roman Herzog, Norbert Blüm, Angela Merkel. . .
Grumbling in the belly of the party
Traditionally, the unions are the heart of the party. There’s a lot of grumbling in there because everyone is supposed to save a lot. The CDU is missing 18 million euros! That too. The anger grows.
Even more: the C in the party. Two thirds of the members find it important. For many, Merz – he can say what he wants – is viewed skeptically: Isn’t he the rather soulless representative of a conservative, boisterous men’s union?
Stephan Andreas Casdorff is the publisher of the Tagesspiegel. He finds it difficult to imagine a CDU without C as a claim.
Not interested in religion, not in social affairs, not in the little people – the impression spreads. Still outside the CDU. But also inside. From bottom to top.
The party’s basic program is making heavy progress. Measured against Richard von Weizsäcker, Kurt Biedenkopf and Heiner Geißler anyway.
Now, on June 17th, the discussion will continue. Ironically, on the 70th anniversary of the workers’ uprising in the GDR. The head of state will celebrate it in a big way. Weizsäcker would have spoken of historical oblivion in the CDU. And Helmut Kohl certainly raged.
Incidentally, churches should no longer have anything to say to the Christian Democrats. You may pray with those who are interested before the convention.
The Merz camp liked to criticize that Angela Merkel had sold off Christian Democratic silverware. Let’s see how much is left for the next election.
I work as a news website author and mostly cover the opinion section. I have been writing since I was a teenager, and have always enjoyed telling stories. I studied journalism at university and loved every minute of it. After graduating, I decided to move to London and take up a position with a Global Happenings. It has been an incredible experience, learning about all sorts of different cultures and meeting some amazing people. My goal is to continue learning and growing in my career so that I can provide readers with the best possible content.
