Former German Chancellor and CDU leader Angela Merkel will attend a CDU party conference for the first time since leaving office. The Chancellor’s office told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Wednesday edition) that Merkel will be present as an honorary guest on the opening day of the event, which will take place in Stuttgart on February 20. She will remain in the city until the party’s leadership election on Friday, and will not deliver a speech.
The party greeted her participation with enthusiasm. Dennis Radtke, head of the CDA labour wing, told “Spiegel” that Merkel “is one of the defining personalities of the CDU and of the country as a whole” and that her appearance “is a good signal that, even in difficult times, we Christians‑democrats stand together”. Bundestag member Christoph Ploß added that Merkel’s visit “is a sign the party is very united and that we fight together as a team in the upcoming state elections in Baden‑Württemberg and Rhineland‑Palatinate”. Pascal Reddig, leader of the Young Group in the Bundestag, said his reaction was positive: “Merkel’s participation is perfectly fine and not at all surprising. It is a good sign that after a period of distance she is seeking more contact with the party again”.
The CDU congress is scheduled for the end of the coming week in Stuttgart. Merkel had not taken part in the 2022 and 2024 meetings that followed her resignation.
