Ahead of a meeting between Chancellor and CDU leader Friedrich Merz and various CDU district chairs, Cologne CDU district chair Serap Güler dismissed rumors circulating about a shake-up at the top of the party. Speaking in the Politico Berlin Playbook podcast, Güler stated that she does not believe reports suggesting Nordrhein-Westfalen Minister-President Hendrik Wüst as a potential party leader are currently on the agenda. The CDU politician further rejected the concept of separating the Chancellor’s office from the party chairmanship, stressing that this decision ultimately rests with Friedrich Merz, but she was not supportive of that scenario at this time.
Despite dismissing leadership change talk, Güler did acknowledge there is discontent within the CDU. Prior to the meeting with Merz at the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus, she stated candidly that there is a great deal of activity and underlying “trouble at the grassroots,” but she stressed the importance of supporting Merz. She argued that he cannot handle the situation alone and needs the support of the party, especially from his own ranks.
Addressing the issue of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), Güler firmly maintained the existing decision concerning incompatibility. She asserted that the AfD has not become more moderate since 2018-quite the opposite-and therefore, the incompatibility ruling must remain in place. Furthermore, the CDU politician explicitly ruled out any cooperation with the AfD, adding that neither she in Cologne nor any joint application would involve aligning on an issue or making any arrangements with the party.
