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rea they sit as at a normal table, the three men, at a slightly greater distance from the crown protection, only with water, no rear quarter, but very publicly, in front of the cameras. On the wall is the inscription “Presidency of the CDU: The round of candidates”. Enter a moderator, Tanja Samrotzki. Then Friedrich Merz, Norbert Röttgen and Armin Laschet talk politics for 90 minutes.
It’s laid back, there’s a laugh when Merz says she has four grandchildren and the fifth is coming soon, so the other two can’t keep up. In response to the moderator’s short question about how Röttgen would like to “wake up” Germany when it comes to technology and innovation, he charmingly chimes in and says: “Of course, kissing is always a very pleasant way to wake up and be mobile. But that’s not enough in this area. “It can be that easy in tough competition. Only once does it get a little more confrontational later on.
The thought briefly arises: Let the three of you do it together, then there will be something for everyone, the handsome, the confrontational and the investigative, the youthful and the benevolent, all encompassing. They have known each other for decades, have been on two terms, and can still sit at a table. But in the end there can only be one CDU party leader, one candidate for chancellor, and perhaps after this meeting the members and delegates can at least come to terms with the knowledge that each of the three carries something from the other.
Apart from the outward appearance, the character, the image, what is the content of the former leader of the parliamentary group of the Union Friedrich Merz, 65, of the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Bundestag, Norbert Röttgen, 55, and the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, 59? It is not that easy to answer, even after this first round of candidates.
So a little experiment: what if the candidates couldn’t be seen and their voices couldn’t be heard? That would make you think. A selection based solely on content criteria, based on statements, would hardly be possible, as the following three examples from the conversation show.
First: “When it comes to homeland security, a clear, uncompromising advantage to a coalition partner at the expense of the safety of our citizens.”
Secondly: “The ecological renewal of the social market economy is high on the agenda.”
Third: “We need a digital framework for Germany.”
Is it really clear who said what? The first sentence comes from Laschet, who was probably given to Merz. The second came from Merz, which would have been destined for Röttgen, and the third came from Röttgen, which would also go with the other two.
That is why the presentation round is important from the beginning. Also the first question from a member of the CDU, what stamp do you want to put on the CDU, because this is where the different personalities come into play and what is particularly important to them. Röttgen says he has “experience in wins and losses”, is concerned about “the stakes”, speaks of upheaval. Röttgen speaks quickly and urgently.
Merz receives the “New Beginnings and Renewal” stamp from the moderator and is happy to accept it. He says Germany is facing an exciting decade, the CDU is facing a profound turning point, emphasizes green renewal. You have to endure different opinions ”and perhaps return to the conflict in the political center. I’ve missed her there for a few years and I don’t want us to leave her out. “
Laschet actually imagines himself with an application, name, age, profession. Since taking office in 2017, he has been making “concrete policies for citizens” every day, he is a team player, which is why he is running for the party presidency alongside Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn. Laschet wants to “reconcile city and country”, join different positions, “collect” trends.
There is a lot in common between the three in terms of content and often the only thing that matters is who gets to fill a position first. Like Röttgen, Merz and Laschet want more women to get involved in the party and in leadership positions. For Merz, a flat fee is only the “second best solution,” but he is not opposed. Laschet says: “Lower taxes, you can’t seriously promise that right now.” That would not be an honest or real policy. Merz expressly agrees, Röttgen does not object.
When asked which position they would not abandon in coalition negotiations with the Greens, Röttgen warns: “A coalition election campaign is the worst we can do.” Laschet says he shares Röttgen’s point of view. Then he becomes even more concrete and sounds like an uncompromising when he emphasizes that there can be no compromises on internal security, that a zero-tolerance policy is in place, and that the CDU will do nothing to jeopardize the substance of industrialized Germany. . Merz says, like Röttgen, that the CDU should have its own environmental profile. It is about market instruments, about “ideas instead of permanent bans”.
Röttgen and Merz are vehemently in favor of digitization, in Laschet’s view probably too vehemently, because he emphasizes that people should not be persuaded to believe that everything will be digital in ten years. “There will also be many jobs that cannot be digital. The service professions, the elderly and the caring professions will increase, and it is precisely these jobs that depend on human closeness that cannot be digitized, ”says the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.
When it comes to the issue of digitization, something controversial comes up when Merz and Röttgen complain that municipalities and states are not requesting the federal funds provided quickly enough. Merz calls for more organizational responsibility from the federal states because schools are overwhelmed. Laschet contradicts and complains that the rules for dealing with such federal funds for digitization need to be changed, that a reform of federalism is needed. Merz agrees, “I strongly agree”, and so does Röttgen.
All three also share a helplessness on the last topic. A member of the CDU from Gummersbach asks how they would like to reduce the gap between rich and poor. Laschet does not name a solution, but describes the risks of the pandemic, that there are people who would come out of the crisis well and even strengthened, but others would have to fear for their professional existence. Big companies like Amazon would benefit from the crisis, eventually they would have to get them to pay more taxes. Röttgen sees it in a similar way. She complains that the systemic professions of the pandemic, nurses, nurse, cashier, are all typical professions of women who are underpaid. There needs to be a greater “moral and financial appreciation” of these professions.
And then comes Merz. “However, it must also be said: if we had not had immigration to the social security systems in 2015/2016, we would have a million fewer Harz IV beneficiaries. That is part of the bigger picture of the debate. Unfortunately, it is often suppressed enough, ”he says and leaves it where it is. So that’s his central statement when it comes to the question of the rich and the poor. That would require a bit of discussion, but Laschet and Röttgen do not respond.
They say goodbye. “Tonight was a night that demonstrated how well we can discuss future issues at the CDU,” Laschet says. Candidate Röttgen praises a “respectful competition” and the daily discussions with the rank and file of the party, and Merz is pleased: “Something is breaking here. A new culture of discussion is emerging. And the CDU is thinking about a time after Angela Merkel ”. That too could be discussed for a long time, but the first round of candidates is over. The second round is scheduled for January 8. One week before the first digital congress of the CDU party, where the party leader is elected.
