Right-wing conservative union of values - Maassen announces first steps towards founding a party
The Werteunion wants to decide on the first steps towards founding a party at a general meeting. "The party could run in the upcoming state elections in eastern Germany and would work together with all parties that support this program and are prepared to change politics in Germany," wrote Werteunion chairman and former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution Hans-Georg Maassen to the German Press Agency on Thursday in response to an inquiry. State elections are due this year in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg.
Werteunion wants to vote on splitting from CDU/CSU
Founded in 2017, the Werteunion sees itself as an association of conservative Christian Democrats. It argues that the CDU has moved too far to the left under former party leader Angela Merkel and needs to revert to more conservative positions. The group operates as a registered association and is not one of the official party branches of the CDU or CSU.
According to Maaßen, a general meeting of the Werteunion is planned for January 20 in Erfurt. A decision is to be made there on transferring the naming rights to a new party to be founded called WerteUnion. The current WerteUnion association is to become a support association "with the aim of supporting conservative politics in Germany", as Maaßen wrote.
"If the general meeting agrees to these far-reaching changes, this would be the first step towards the WerteUnion splitting off from the CDU and CSU," Maaßen explained. The members of the WerteUnion are connected to the CDU and CSU "in some cases through decades of membership, but since Angela Merkel, today's Union parties no longer represent the brand essence of the CDU: freedom instead of socialism."
The past year has shown that CDU federal chairman Friedrich Merz and the federal executive of the CDU "are not prepared to change policy. Instead, the left-wing course of Merkel's CDU is to be continued," wrote Maassen, lamenting: "Merkel's policies have caused considerable damage to Germany in all political areas."
The Values Union is a thorn in the side of the CDU because of its criticism of the official party course. Expulsion proceedings are underway against Maaßen, who is himself a CDU member and has repeatedly caused a stir in recent years with right-wing populist statements.
According to its own information, the Werteunion has around 4000 members. In the past two years, it has been characterized by internal disputes. In 2021, the AfD-affiliated economist Max Otte was surprisingly elected as the successor to founding chairman Alexander Mitsch. Otte had to relinquish the chairmanship after running for the office of Federal President as an AfD candidate in 2022.
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- Hans-Georg Maassen, the chairman of Werteunion, suggested that the new party could participate in the upcoming state elections in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg, coordinating with any party that supports their conservative values.
- The Werteunion, established in 2017, sees itself as an association of conservative Christian Democrats, arguing that the CDU has shifted too far to the left under former leader Angela Merkel.
- Maassen revealed plans for a Werteunion general meeting on January 20 in Erfurt, where members will vote on transferring the naming rights to a new party, potentially leading to a split from the CDU and CSU.
- The WerteUnion, which has around 4000 members, has faced internal disputes in the past two years, including the unexpected succession of AfD-affiliated economist Max Otte as chairman.
- The German Press Agency reported that Maassen, a CDU member, is currently under Party exclusion proceedings due to his right-wing populist statements, adding to the tension between the Werteunion and the CDU.
- The CSU, a sister party to the CDU, might also be impacted by the Werteunion's actions, as it aims to realign with more conservative values, potentially causing a rift within the right-wing union.
Source: www.stern.de
