Sunday 21 November 2021
“Pay more attention to the families”
Merz sees CDU in a “serious crisis”
Friedrich Merz is alarmed about the state of the CDU: “We no longer have opinion leadership on any topic, not even in economic policy,” he complains. In order to reach broader layers again, the candidate for the party chairmanship relies on more family friendliness.
Friedrich Merz, applicant for the CDU chairmanship, sees his party in a threatening situation. “The CDU is actually in a serious crisis, and its character as a people’s party is at risk,” said Merz of “Bild am Sonntag”. “We no longer have opinion leadership on any topic, not even in economic policy,” said Merz. “We no longer have the highest percentage of voters in any age group, not even among those over 60.”
Merz, who has already run twice for the CDU chairmanship in vain, was convinced that this time he would prevail against the two competitors Norbert Röttgen and Helge Braun. “The situation is completely different this time,” emphasized the former Union parliamentary group leader. “We are in the opposition and the members are involved in the decision.”
If he becomes party leader, Merz wants to prepare the CDU for the shortest possible opposition time. The party must “be prepared to assume responsibility as a government at any time – that can happen earlier than in four years, but it can also take a lot longer”. For a CDU leader, from Merz’s point of view, it is also true that he must always be in a position to “also take over the office of Federal Chancellor”. The question of whether he will be the CDU candidate for chancellor in the regular federal election in 2025 is “not now”.
Merz wants to abolish long night meetings
As a priority in the event of his election as CDU boss, Merz announced in “Bild am Sonntag”: “First of all, the CDU will become a very family-friendly employer with me as chairman.” Time off that young mothers and fathers take for their children should “no longer be seen as a career break in the résumé”. What is also necessary is “proper childcare everywhere in the professional environment, including in our party headquarters”.
Merz agreed to “abolish the long night meetings in the CDU and to keep the weekends free as far as possible, especially Sundays”. He tries “now more than ever to see our world through the eyes of our children”. Unfortunately he had “too little time” for his own children. “And I would like to enable my younger colleagues to do that differently today,” assured Merz.
The three applicants for the CDU chairmanship will introduce themselves to the party base from next week. Merz kicks off in a video slot on Monday evening. This is followed by ex-Federal Environment Minister Röttgen on Wednesday and Chancellor Braun on Thursday. On December 1st, all three will then answer questions from the CDU members together.
After the historically poor results in the federal election, the CDU wants to have its new party chairman determined for the first time by its current 400,000 members. After the vote of the base, Armin Laschet’s successor is to be formally elected at a party congress on January 21st and 22nd in Hanover.