Party researcher Franz Walter argues that the CDU has lost its connection with broad segments of voters. Speaking to the weekly magazine “Die Zeit,” Walter acknowledged that the Union had once been a strength due to its flexibility, its ability to react to shifting popular sentiment, and its willingness to merge with the emotional concerns of the majority of the populace.
However, Walter contends that the CDU is currently perceived as a “party of social benefit recipients”-particularly if pensions are considered a form of transfer payment. He warns that this demographic group will react very sensitively to the current political debate concerning reforms.
Furthermore, Walter asserts that the CDU/CSU’s traditional strength lay in its ability to balance competing interests, thereby guaranteeing democratic stability. He states that he no longer sees this vital skill in the Union.
Walter served as a Professor of Political Science and longtime Director of the Institute for Democratic Research at the University of Göttingen until his retirement in 2017. He became seriously ill with cancer in 2015 and subsequently withdrew from public life.
