Scholz accuses CDU state leaders of "intrigue" against Merz
The long-awaited showdown in the dispute between the federal and state governments and between the federal government and the opposition over the issue of immigration is nearing its climax. Since the early evening, the state premiers have been negotiating with the head of government in the Federal Chancellery over the most contentious issue of recent weeks. According to information from RTL and ntv, Olaf Scholz accuses the CDU state leaders of nothing less than an "intrigue" against their own party leader - against the CDU federal chairman Friedrich Merz.
The reason for Scholz's accusation is the demand by the federal states for a federal-state commission to shape future migration policy. The so-called B-states - i.e. the state governments led by the CDU and CDU as well as the green-black state of Baden-Württemberg - had put forward this demand at short notice at the preliminary meeting of all state premiers on Monday, along with other proposals. The 16 states ultimately adopted this demand in the joint position paper. Other requests from the B states, such as the demand for an expansion of safer countries of origin or the implementation of asylum procedures in third countries, were not included in the joint paper. After a three-hour delay, the minister presidents finally arrived at the Chancellery.
Competition for the chancellor candidacy
Chancellor Scholz obviously sensed a contradiction within the CDU: it was only on Friday that he had negotiated a Germany pact on migration policy together with Merz and CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt. Now, however, the minister presidents of the CDU suddenly claimed the negotiations with the federal government on future migration policy for themselves - within the framework of the aforementioned commission. Were the CDU minister presidents really trying to wrest the reins of action from Merz? Scholz at least interpreted it that way and used the word "intrigue".
For months, the CDU has been seething over the competition between Merz and North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Hendrik Wüst. Both are said to have ambitions to become the CDU's candidate for chancellor in 2025. Merz had repeatedly suspected Wüst of wanting to rebel against him. At the weekend, Wüst attracted attention with his call for asylum seekers who have entered Germany illegally to be housed in a third country outside the European Union in future in accordance with the so-called "Rwanda model". On Monday morning, the Union states finally surprised the SPD-governed states with this and other demands for the meeting with the Federal Chancellor.
Wüst, not Merz
In a short press conference before the summit with Scholz, Boris Rhein, Christian Democrat head of government of Hesse and chairman of the Conference of Minister Presidents, tried to explain the change of tack. "As is often the case: things happen, things develop," said the CDU politician. "This is not the adoption of points from the CDU Germany or Friedrich Merz or the CDU/CSU parliamentary group." The newly introduced demands of the CDU/CSU states are "points that offer a certain degree of congruence in one place or another, but these are points that are particularly important to the states."
Rhein then made it clear who had taken the initiative: "If Friedrich Merz had been able to dictate points to us, it might have been points other than these. I'll just mention the issue of third countries: I don't need to beat about the bush here, you've been following this over the past few days, it's particularly a question of the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia."
Neither a "Rwanda model" nor the federal-state commission were part of the 26-point paper from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, which formed the basis of the demands that Merz and Dobrindt put to Scholz. Wüst had said in the morning on "ntv Frühstart": "The central point today is that we put an end to irregular migration." The fact that there are currently at least two politicians in the CDU who want to act as spokespeople on the subject of migration has not escaped Scholz's notice.
- Olaf Scholz's accusation of an "intrigue" against Friedrich Merz stemmed from the CDU state leaders demanding a federal-state commission to shape future migration policy, a move that Scholz perceived as an attempt to undermine Merz's authority as CDU federal chairman.
- The long-standing tension within the CDU between Friedrich Merz and Hendrik Wüst over the chancellor candidacy for 2025 could have played a role in the state leaders' demand, as both politicians have expressed ambitions in this regard.
- Boris Rhein, the CDU head of government of Hesse and chairman of the Conference of Minister Presidents, attempted to distance the state leaders' demands from a specific party leader or parliamentary group, hinting at a potential conflict between Merz and Wüst over migration policy.
- Although a "Rwanda model" and the federal-state commission were not included in the 26-point paper from the CDU/CSU parliamentary group proposed by Merz and Dobrindt, they were part of the demands made by CDU/CSU state leaders at the meeting with Scholz, indicating a differing approach to migration policy.
Source: www.ntv.de
