Christian von Stetten, who serves as the chairman of the parliamentary district of SMEs within the CDU parliamentary group, has continued his criticism of his coalition partner. Speaking to the “Stern” von Stetten stated that, “Unfortunately, the SPD is blocking every corner”. Despite this criticism, the CDU politician also publicly backed both the Chancellor and the CDU party leader. He asserted that he still views Friedrich Merz as the correct choice for the Chancellery, adding that Merz “knows exactly what is necessary to reform our country”.
These public statements follow from a previous incident where von Stetten questioned the longevity of the existing coalition during an event in his constituency on Monday. When asked about the coalition’s durability, his answer was unequivocal: “Well, at least not four years, definitely not”. He concluded that the parties simply do not fit together, possessing completely different concepts.
Von Stetten’s critique is not isolated. According to the “Stern” the CDU parliamentary group held a virtual session on Wednesday afternoon focusing on the cabinet’s decisions regarding the health insurance reform and the budget. Multiple deputies took the floor to express their views, including criticism described by the magazine as “brutal” regarding these policies. For example, CSU MP Alexander Engelhard reportedly told the group that he no longer wished to be “whipped” in his district, highlighting the depth of the internal dissent.
