Signal to its own voters: Söder is strongly promoting black and green

Wednesday, February 03, 2021

Signal to your own voters
Söder strongly promotes black and green

Bavaria's Prime Minister Söder speaks enthusiastically about the prospect of black and green. A recent study suggests: Such statements are directed less to the Greens than to the voters of the CDU and CSU.

Just a few years ago, the CSU Greens mainly served as a horror picture. That is over: CSU boss Markus Söder is promoting black and green as the next federal government. The grand coalition is "accepted as a crisis team," said the star. But many citizens have sympathy for black and green. "It would be an exciting future team that could offer inspiration because it focuses on the big question of our time: the reconciliation of economy and ecology."

It is not the first time that the Bavarian Prime Minister has presented an alliance with the Greens as desirable. "I think that black-green would be very attractive," he said in December in a double interview with Greens boss Robert Habeck in "Spiegel". Habeck was much more reserved at the time.

The campaign for the Greens is the preliminary endpoint of a radical change of course that Söder had made before the state election in Bavaria in 2018. Since then, the CSU boss has been hugging trees and posting dog photos on Instagram. In an interview with the "Stern", Söder said that the election campaign at the time was "something of a political near-death experience". "The beer tents were full, and the Secretary General called me late at night. I asked, 'What are the polls doing?' Answer: 'Another percent down again.' At some point I thought: If this continues, you will end up being the Prime Minister with the shortest term in Bavarian history. I clearly felt that I have to change something. That we as the CSU have to change. Beer tents alone are enough in a modern society Society had changed much more than we in the CSU had perceived. Many people reflected that to me. And I accepted that. "

Black and green were still not one of his favorite subjects; after the election this coalition would have been possible, but Söder opted for the free voters. On the political Ash Wednesday a year ago he made it clear that he did not believe in a coalition with the eco party: "I like to hug trees, but that's the only green thing I want to hug," he called into the room at the time.

Many Union voters can imagine voting green

Strategic considerations are likely to be behind his change of heart. In fact, a recent study by the CDU-affiliated Konrad Adenauer Foundation shows that Söder's approach is well thought out. Accordingly, 25 percent of Union voters can imagine voting for the Greens if necessary. Seen in this way, the Greens are the most dangerous opponents of the CDU and CSU: No other party among Union voters reaches this value. Eighteen percent of Union voters tend towards the FDP, 9 percent towards the SPD and 4 percent towards the AfD. 33 percent of Union voters can imagine voting "no party".

In contrast to the new CDU chairman Armin Laschet, who often points out that he works well with the FDP in North Rhine-Westphalia, Söder does not see the Liberals as potential partners. In the "Stern" interview, he also refers to NRW as an example of successful cooperation between the CDU and FDP. "But the basic rule is: fewer partners make a government more stable than too many. More cooks don't necessarily make the broth more enjoyable." On the other hand, Söder expressly praises the Greens for their behavior in the Corona crisis. They were "a more reliable partner than many other parties".

It should be clear that Söder wants to signal to the supporters of the Union that they do not have to vote for the Greens in order to get a climate-friendly policy. He is firmly convinced that "we have to do more in terms of climate protection". You can "do very well ecological politics without being a green".

Regarding possible ambitions for the candidacy for chancellor, Söder says: "As party leader and prime minister I am actually politically promoted." The CDU has the right of initiative on the question of the candidate for chancellor. "Armin Laschet and I will work very well together, I really appreciate him. We will discuss the issue together and make a proposal to the entire Union." According to the current trend barometer, Söder is clearly ahead in the ranking of possible chancellor candidates.