Merz wants to replace traffic lights as quickly as possible
The dispute over the 2024 budget and the row over the Ampel's plans for cuts continue. CDU chairman Merz sees opportunities for the CDU/CSU - and is speculating on new elections. But unlike CSU leader Söder, he is particularly skeptical about one party when it comes to the coalition issue.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz is backing a swift switch to a CDU/CSU-led federal government in light of the budget dispute between the traffic light coalition. He and CSU leader Markus Söder are "in agreement that we want to replace this government as quickly as possible", said the leader of the largest opposition parliamentary group in the Bundestag. If the coalition fails, an early federal election on June 9, the same day as the European elections, could be considered.
However, the path to an early election is complicated: Among other things, Chancellor Olaf Scholz would have to face a vote of confidence in parliament and lose. This is currently not foreseeable. With simultaneous federal and European elections, the election to the European Parliament could also be strengthened by a high turnout, said Merz. European elections in Germany are regarded as think-tank elections. There are fears that the AfD could do particularly well in 2024. Some hope that a high voter turnout could prevent this.
Merz replied to the question of whether the CDU could even organize a federal election campaign by June: "That would be challenging." However, because of the European elections, he is already setting up the party headquarters in such a way that the CDU is in a position to contest this nationwide election. The Adenauerhaus would then be expanded so that the election campaign for the Bundestag could be run in parallel.
Merz skeptical about new GroKo
Merz was skeptical about Söder's proposal for a new grand coalition. It was "in any case the question: Is that even mathematically enough for a coalition with an SPD that continues to marginalize itself," said Merz. "And quite frankly: It doesn't have my greatest sympathy." He added: "The SPD is now at 14 percent. You can no longer form a grand coalition with a party like that." At the same time, Merz emphasized: "We are certainly not going into the election with a coalition statement." The CDU/CSU is currently polling between 31 and 34 percent.
At the end of November, Bavaria's Minister President Söder brought up the possibility of a new election on June 9, 2024, the same day as the European elections, in light of the budget crisis facing the coalition government. At the same time, he rejected a government with the Greens and mentioned a new grand coalition as a conceivable option.
CDU leader Merz now stated the Union's strategic goal: "After the next federal election, we must be strong enough to have at least two options as to who we can then form a government with." He cited the Hesse elections at the beginning of October as an example. With 34.6 percent, the CDU had achieved a result "that would also be a good election result for us at federal level". Minister President Boris Rhein had two alternatives, held intensive talks with the SPD and the Greens and opted for coalition negotiations with the SPD. "I would like to see a similar situation for us as the CDU/CSU in the federal election, regardless of when it takes place."
How does the CDU leader feel about the Greens?
Asked whether he has a preference for the Greens in view of his persistently harsh criticism of Chancellor Scholz and the Social Democrats, Merz replied: "At the moment, there is a certain preference from a human and emotional point of view. But in terms of substance, the differences are still very, very big," he added. "If the Greens stick to this denial of reality, this loss of reality, then it will be very, very difficult." However, the issue would have to be assessed after the election.
In his home state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the CDU is in government with the Greens, Merz recalled, adding: "The moment it comes to co-governing, the Greens and Social Democrats become very flexible, very agile, very adaptable."
With regard to the CDU/CSU's former favorite partner, the FDP, Merz said that with poll results of four to five percent, the party's existence was "once again under serious threat. I regret this, but I can also understand it from the perspective of the party's voters."
The way the FDP is co-governing in the traffic light system - "government and opposition at the same time" - is "not rewarded in the long term. That is not possible. The FDP has to make a decision." If the FDP decides to remain in the coalition, this is likely to reinforce its downward trend, said Merz. "I would like it to be different, but at the moment I don't see it as a realistic option from a mathematical point of view," he said against the backdrop of previous black-yellow cooperation.
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- The discussion over the 2024 budget and the controversy over the traffic light coalition's budget cuts plans have led to tension within the government, with CDU chairman Friedrich Merz advocating for early elections to replace the current traffic light coalition with a CDU/CSU-led federal government.
- During the European elections in 2024, Merz suggested that an early federal election on the same day could be considered, but he acknowledged that Chancellor Olaf Scholz would need to lose a vote of confidence in parliament for this to happen.
- Merz highlighted that a high voter turnout during both the federal and European elections could strengthen the European election results and potentially prevent the far-right AfD from doing well in the German elections.
Source: www.ntv.de
