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According to preliminary data, Merkel’s center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) had the worst performance in history in Sunday’s regional elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Sunday’s failure raised questions about the Conservatives’ chances on Sept. 26. in the next parliamentary elections, in which the Germans will elect the successor to the outgoing Chancellor Merkel.
“It cannot continue,” writes Der Spiegel. According to the publication, A. Merkel’s house is “on fire”.
The Conservatives failed in the regional elections due to the slow vaccination of the population, the late start of mass rapid tests and the high number of new COVID-19 cases, despite several months of quarantine.
Just before the regional elections, several CDU politicians and their Christian Social Union (CSU) allies were accused of allegedly profiting from public procurement that ordered masks at the start of the pandemic.
Since then, three Conservative MPs have resigned and the CDU / CSU alliance has instructed all MPs to declare the financial gains from the coronavirus crisis.
In Baden-Württemberg, the CDU received only 24 percent. support for the population, and in this federal state, the Greens won 32 percent. votes. 2016 The CDU had received 27 percent. votes.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, meanwhile, the Social Democrats welcomed victory, with the CDU winning 26 percent. Voter votes. Five years ago, CDU support was 32 percent.
Merkel’s party has vowed not to tolerate attempts by politicians to profit from the pandemic.
German Chancellor Merkel’s conservatives said Sunday that politicians seeking economic benefits from the pandemic will get “zero tolerance” when voters in two major regions punish the chancellor-led CDU (Christian Democratic Union) party in the face of a scandal over the purchase of masks.
The scandal erupted after the CDU and CSU (Christian Social Union) parties received accusations that parliamentarians had benefited from agreements related to the purchase of face masks at the beginning of the pandemic.
CDU party secretary Paul Ziemiak said the scandal had “severely depressed” the Conservatives in the final stages of the election campaign.
Angela Merkel
“There is no place for the CDU for anyone looking to get rich during the crisis; we have a zero tolerance policy,” Ziemiak said.
German commentators have called the scandal “the biggest conservative crisis” since the 1990s, when there was a scandal involving illegal subsidies to the party.
Additionally, public anger has recently increased due to a slow vaccination campaign, the delayed launch of the free rapid test offer, and the persistently high number of COVID-19 infections, despite months of quarantine.
Early calculations showed that the Merkel-led CDU suffered heavy losses in Sunday’s elections, with voters expressing discontent over the lack of control over the spread of the coronavirus and the mask acquisition scandal.
According to polls by public service broadcasters ARD and ZDF, the CDU received the lowest electoral support in history in elections to the new regional parliaments in Rhineland-Palatinate and Baden-Württemberg.
These elections are being closely monitored as a barometer of the mood of the country’s population ahead of the general elections on September 26, when Merkel’s successor will be elected.
“This is a black hour for the CDU,” said the daily Die Welt.
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