Bundestag - Union welcomes change of Green MP Sekmen
The head of the Union faction welcomes Melis Sekmen's switch from the Greens to the CDU/CSU parliamentarians. "Her decision is to be respected. We are of course happy about it as well, since it appears that our political offering is convincing," said Thorsten Frei, Parliamentary Manager of the Union faction, in Berlin.
Frei added that the decision had been maturing over a longer period of time. In the end, personal talks between CDU politicians and Sekmen had taken place. The faction will welcome her with open arms.
Frei on Sekmen's future political career: No Promises
Frei assumes that Sekmen has already submitted a membership application to the CDU district association in her hometown Mannheim - otherwise, she will do so later in the day, said Frei. It will then take some time until she becomes a CDU member. As a party member in the Bundestag, she will automatically also be a member of the Union faction. No active decision of the faction is necessary in this regard. Regarding Sekmen's future political career, Frei spoke cautiously. "There's nothing to promise," he said, but referred to her role as Mannheimer representative.
Sekmen noticed as a business politician
Frei mentioned that the former Green deputy had caught his attention as a business politician. She had an interesting CV and had primarily focused on start-ups. In the Bundestag, the 30-year-old had been the Green faction's spokesperson on the economy until recently and since 2022 chairwoman of the parliamentary group "Founding & Start-ups".
Sekmen plans to participate as a guest in the Union faction's Bundestag session in the afternoon. The Mannheimer with Turkish roots announced her departure from the Greens and from the Green Bundestag faction on Monday - right in the middle of the political disputes between Union and Greens before the autumn state elections.
- Melis Sekmen's decision to join the CDU/CSU parliamentarians in the Bundestag was welcomed by Thorsten Frei, the Parliamentary Manager of the Union faction in Berlin.
- Frei mentioned that Sekmen's switch had been a result of personal talks between her and CDU politicians, and the faction is eager to welcome her with open arms.
- The CDU district association in Mannheim is expected to receive Sekmen's membership application, either submitted by her or later in the day, for her to officially become a CDU member.
- As a party member in the Bundestag, Sekmen will automatically become a part of the Union faction, but Frei was cautious about making promises about her future political career.
- Frei also noticed Sekmen's competence as a business politician, having represented the Green faction's spokesperson on the economy and serving as chairwoman of the parliamentary group "Founding & Start-ups" in Baden-Württemberg.
