The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is intensifying its campaign rhetoric against Cem Özdemir, the Green Party’s candidate for Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg, just two months before the state election. The escalating attacks highlight a strategic shift by the CDU, aiming to undermine Özdemir’s appeal despite his consistently strong performance in head-to-head polling against the CDU’s Manuel Hagel.
Steffen Bilger, Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group and chairman of the CDU’s Nordwürttemberg district, launched a particularly pointed critique in an interview with the “Tagesspiegel”. Bilger characterized Özdemir as a “failed coalition minister” with no discernible achievements from his time in the federal government, accusing him of adopting a populist campaign stance that deviates from his previous positions and those of his own party. This underlines a CDU strategy of portraying Özdemir as opportunistic and lacking authenticity.
While the CDU currently maintains a substantial lead in opinion polls over both the AfD and the Greens, Özdemir remains a formidable contender, consistently outperforming Hagel in voter preference for the role of Minister-President, potentially succeeding the incumbent Winfried Kretschmann. This discrepancy – the CDU’s overall lead versus Özdemir’s personal popularity – presents a significant challenge for the CDU’s campaign strategy.
Bilger attempted to counter Özdemir’s narrative of experience by emphasizing Hagel’s contribution as parliamentary group leader, portraying him as instrumental in the stability of the Green-CDU coalition government over recent years. He argued that Baden-Württemberg requires “new momentum” at the helm, suggesting the state has become too reliant on its existing resources under the current administration – a veiled criticism of the Green Party’s policies.
The CDU’s sharpened attack on Özdemir reflects a carefully calculated gamble. Undermining Özdemir’s credibility and presenting Hagel as a reassuring figure of continuity and stability appears to be central to the CDU’s efforts to consolidate its lead and prevent a potential upset in what is shaping up to be a crucial election for the state and potentially for the future of German coalition politics. The escalating rhetoric raises questions about the potential for a particularly divisive final stretch of the campaign.
