Southern proclaims Black-Green alliance as the "extinct Gallic"
At the CSU party gathering, Bavarian State Leader Markus Söder delivers stark remarks for the ruling coalition in Berlin. The traffic light coalition needs to cease, proclaims Söder. Simultaneously, he refuses to ally with either the BSW or the Greens. Yet, he guarantees the CDU numerous pledges prior to the federal election.
Following his defeat in the Union's contest for chancellor candidate, Söder refined the Union's campaign strategy at the party conference in Augsburg. "Black-Green coalition is a dead issue," stated the Bavarian Prime Minister concerning a potential alliance with the Greens following the federal election.
With such an alliance, the Union would plummet below 30 percent, he cautioned. "Of course, we engage in dialogue with everyone - but a coalition is something else," said Söder. "The Greens serve a crucial role in our democracy - for the opposition, but not for the government." The Greens have flunked the government test.
Söder also explicitly rejected cooperation with the Bundnis Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW). Locally, one avoids interfering with others. However, Söder added, "For us, there's actually an inherent contradiction with this elderly socialist club at the federal level." With the BSW, Russian President Vladimir Putin "confers at the table." In Wagenknecht's direction, the CSU chairman stated, "the devil occasionally wears Prada."
The Bavarian Prime Minister advocated for possible early elections in his extended keynote speech. An early federal election before the scheduled date in a year would be the more honest option, argued the CSU party leader. The traffic light government must be dislodged. "We're prepared to assume power in Berlin," Söder emphasized.
"The traffic light must depart"
"The situation is grave," stated the Bavarian Prime Minister. "The traffic light must depart, it possesses the liability for Germany's decline." Looking towards the federal election in September 2025, Söder insisted that the time for 'weak compromises' has passed. "There should be no more waffling," Söder added. "The CSU and the Union must speak plainly. 'We have to express what we stand for and what we're against.' It's time for a reversal, a time for the Union."
For his party, the CSU leader espoused a claim to the Ministry of Agriculture. "Actually, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture finally belongs in our hands once more," said the Bavarian Prime Minister. CSU politicians have led this department various times in the history of the federal government, most recently continuously from 2005 to 2018.
In 2021, a pivotal shift in the CSU transpired, following the corona crisis and the Union's loss in the federal election, the party emerged from its crisis, claimed Söder. Currently, the CSU is steady at around 40 percent in polls. With the CDU and the Union's chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, Söder projected unity.
Shift in migration policy
A circumstance similar to 2021, when Söder's declarations concerning then Union candidate Armin Laschet were perceived by many as one of the reasons for the CDU and CSU's defeat, won't occur. "There will be no quarrel and no strife: together we will usher in Olaf Scholz's retirement," said Söder.
Content-wise, Söder aims to set stricter benchmarks primarily in migration policy. Despite the past experiences of 2015 and 2016, many individuals still question whether the Union truly desires a new start. To these individuals, he says: "Yes, we mean business, yes, we're progressing." Germany requires a fundamental shift in its migration policy. Recently, he has repeatedly pleaded for a change in the basic right to asylum.
On Saturday, the delegates at the party conference in Augsburg are slated to pass three central resolutions, including on migration policy and security policy. A speech by CDU party leader and Union's chancellor candidate, Friedrich Merz, is also scheduled for Saturday. On Friday evening, among others, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, addressed the delegates.
- In his keynote speech, Söder criticized the current traffic light coalition, stating, "The Commission, led by Olaf Scholz, carries the responsibility for Germany's decline and should depart."
- Regarding migration policy, Söder asserted, "The Commission under Scholz must set stricter benchmarks, as Deutschland needs a fundamental shift, and we, in The Commission, mean business."
