for Years, had the CDU and the CSU especially one thing in common: controversy. Now, CSU Secretary General Markus flower in the SZ-Interview promises a “new Era of cooperation”.
By Wolfgang Wittl
After years of hard clashes sets the CSU to a fresh start with the CDU. “We want to go back to its old strength,” said CSU General Secretary Markus flower of the süddeutsche Zeitung. “Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Markus Söder will usher in a new Era of cooperation of the Union.” Söder is on 19. January, be elected as the successor of Horst Seehofer, the new CSU boss. Unlike its predecessor, Angela Merkel, 2016, the newly elected CDU Chairman Kramp-karrenbauer will be on the CSU-party conference. “This is the return to normality in the good cooperation between the two sister parties,” said flower of the SZ. Because of a dispute in the refugee policy, the Chancellor did not at that time on a visit at my sister’s party.
After more than ten percentage points in a loss at the state election held the flower of self-criticism. The election in October was for the CSU “a turning point”, the party had learned “the lesson”. The CDU and the CSU had “in the last few years, little gift,” says flower. “We are so far gone that it was at the end of the damage for both parties.” The CSU wants to be “state of the art people’s party”. In order to make the party younger, more female and green, he wants to involve the base in the future, for example through regular member surveys.
the new CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak abuts sharper tones than his predecessor, Kramp-Karrenbauer, welcomes flower according to the SZ: “I’m sure he will bring fresh Wind in the CDU.” The CSU was “happy if we don’t have to lead such debates alone, but that there is a common awareness of what the people in this country expect”. Also with a view to working with the new CDU leader, Kramp-Karrenbauer flower expressed his confidence: “I am very optimistic that Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer will succeed, the core brand of the Union, so out of the peel, the whole range is clear again.” The first Test for the new unity of the Union, the European elections, will on the 26. May 2019. Unlike in the Bundestag election, the Union will not only compete with the common candidate, Manfred Weber (CSU), but also with a common program.
