Former Hessian Minister-President Volker Bouffier (CDU) has urged Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) to implement four critical initiatives before Christmas to restore public confidence in the Union party. Writing to the “Welt,” Bouffier stressed that further discussion is unnecessary; instead, decisions must be made regarding the budget, healthcare reform, long-term care provision, and pensions. He asserted that if the Chancellor manages these four issues by year-end, a successful turnaround is possible.
Bouffier also called for Merz to stop protecting the SPD within the mixed red-black coalition. He stated that the Union is clearly the stronger faction, and this must be overtly demonstrated. According to Bouffier, the Social Democrats must finally accept that constantly debating the same issues yields no positive results, and the Chancellor must decide more quickly. While acknowledging that Merz may not become a charismatic favorite, Bouffier believes he has a chance to earn respect-something he can only achieve by standing firm. He concluded by saying, “Merz has actually little left to lose. But he can gain if he takes a clear, convincing stand and successfully pushes it through. That is the Chancellor’s task.”
Separately, Bouffier firmly opposed any notion of pushing the SPD out of coalition and attempting to form a minority government. However, he maintained the defense of the “firewall” against the AfD, adding that care must also be taken of voters who support the AfD, many of whom he believed were simply disillusioned with the current political offerings and not entirely far-right extremists.
Looking ahead to the thorny process of coalition building in Saxony-Anhalt, Bouffier expressed openness to a partnership between the CDU and the Left Party. He noted that in Thuringia and Saxony, the governing CDU and the Left Party already coordinate in the regional parliaments through a consultation mechanism, suggesting this could be a pathway to a solution in Saxony-Anhalt. He emphasized that local conditions must always be considered, adding, “I would not let oneself be elected head of government if it involved antisemites, such as those found in the Left Party in Berlin. But in Saxony-Anhalt, I could imagine that a dynamic similar to what is functioning between the CDU and the Left in Thuringia and Saxony is possible.”
