Merz had recently spoken of the “just milieu of the governing parties”, complained about a “penetrative public education attitude” by the Greens and claimed that “a few hundred more votes went to the AfD” with “every gendered news program”.
“In some gender debates, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up,” said Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU) of the “SZ”. “But we have to understand that it’s no use discussing this kind of crap.” That only alienates people. “Populist banging on” doesn’t help the CDU, “people go seamlessly to the AfD”.
When asked what he now recommends to his party, Günther said: “Central course, remain linguistically clean, do not debate gender and other trivial matters.”
The deputy leader of the Union faction, Mathias Middelberg, also warned his party. “If we want to attract more people again, we mustn’t overdo it with the radicalization of the language – that’s only strengthening the fringes,” says Middelberg. “Crystal clear on the matter, but authoritative on the language” is the way to go.
“We all have to learn again to discuss in a more nuanced and differentiated manner,” said Armin Laschet, the CDU’s candidate for chancellor in the last federal election.
But there are also voices in the CDU that call for tough handling of the traffic light coalition and escalation. “We must not cuddle,” demanded Jens Spahn, Union parliamentary group leader, in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. “We also need simple messages. Let’s say: If we govern, we’ll simply abolish the heating law again.” The opposition is not the fifth column of the federal government, even if some in the traffic light would like it that way.
