Bundestag - Green MP joins the CDU/CSU parliamentary group
In the midst of political disputes between the Union and the Greens, Green Bundestag member Melis Sekmen has switched to the Union faction. "My decision is the result of a long process," Sekmen confirmed to the German Press Agency (dpa) in response to a report by news portal "Table Media." The 30-year-old spoke of a "step forward" and added, "My perception of how and in what style politics is made has further developed." Sekmen, who has Turkish roots - her father came to Germany as a youth, was born in Mannheim, and has been a member of the Bundestag since 2021, expressed her excitement about joining the CDU.
Union faction leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) told dpa that the faction was looking forward to welcoming Sekmen as a new member soon. Sekken intends to seek membership in the CDU-District Association Mannheim in the coming days. "Mrs. Sekken's family background and her issues resonate with much of what the CDU stands for. We make politics for the hardworking people in our country." Sekken reportedly announced her departure from the Greens and the Green-Bundestag faction on Monday.
Sekken: For a debate culture without drawers
Sekken stated, "We need a debate culture where people can express their opinions and concerns without being put in drawers." She added, "These voices must come from a strong center and not from the extreme ends of politics." People should be defined by their actions, their accomplishments, and not by their origin, according to Sekken, who believes the new fundamental program of the CDU represents this.
"Table Media" reported, citing party sources, that Sekken had been in contact with the CDU for weeks due to her disappointment with the Green economic policy. She reportedly spoke with Merz, the chairman of the Baden-Württemberg state group in the Bundestag, Andreas Jung, and the leader of the Southwest CDU, Manuel Hagel, about her switch to the CDU.
The last time an MP switched factions was in 1996
It is rare for MPs to switch factions. The Union faction was able to secure a recruit from another faction as recently as the end of 1996. At that time, former East German civil rights activist Vera Lengsfeld also switched from the Greens to the Union. Lengsfeld, who sat in the Bundestag from 1990 to 2005, left the CDU at the end of last year. After the departure of CSU MPs Andreas Scheuer and Stefan Müller in April and May, the CDU/CSU faction had 195 members.
Sekken is a member of the Greens in the Economic Committee
In the Bundestag, Sekken is the Green Party's spokesperson in the Economic Committee and has been the chairman of the Parliamentary Group "Foundations & Start-ups" since 2022. Since 2011, she has been a Green Party member. From 2011 to 2014, she was the spokesperson for the Green Youth in her hometown. In 2014, she was elected to the Mannheim City Council, and from 2019 to 2022, she served as its chairman.
- The shift in Sekmen's political allegiance has caused a notable confrontation between the Union parliamentary group and the Greens in the Bundestag, representing Germany's political landscape.
- Sekken, a Bundestag member with roots in Turkey, was formerly a part of the Green Bundestag faction but will soon seek membership in the CDU-District Association Mannheim in Baden-Württemberg.
- The media outlet German Press Agency (dpa) reported that Sekken had been in contact with the CDU for weeks, citing her dissatisfaction with the Green Party's economic policy.
- Merz, the leader of the Union faction, expressed enthusiasm in welcoming Sekken as a new member, stating that her family background and views align well with the CDU's core values.
- In Berlin, the Bundestag, Sekken serves as the Green Party's spokesperson in the Economic Committee and has chaired the Parliamentary Group "Foundations & Start-ups" since 2022.
- Lastly, a notable instance of an MP switching factions occurred in 1996, when former East German civil rights activist Vera Lengsfeld transitioned from the Greens to the Union.
