Before the CDU’s federal convention, set to begin this Friday in Stuttgart, several party members rallied around chairman and federal chancellor Friedrich Merz, while also calling for broad reforms.
According to CDU General‑Secretary Carsten Linnemann, addressed to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” (Friday issue), “Merz is precisely the right chancellor at the right time”. He acknowledged the nation’s mounting debt after the Bundestag election, saying it “still hauls us” today. “That’s why we must implement the necessary reforms now” he added. He noted preliminary steps have already been taken and asserted that the party’s goal must be to rebuild trust through hard work and tangible results.
Hessian former premier and long‑time ally of Merz, Roland Koch, told the newspaper that the CDU is Merz’s home. He remarked that a statement by former chancellor Angela Merkel-“the party to which I belong”-would never have come out of Merz’s mouth. Koch criticized the pace of reform, saying it is “far from enough” and that Christian democrats can’t remain satisfied with the current situation. He blamed the Social Democrats, claiming the party misled citizens following the federal election and that many Christians believe the SPD Corridor serves the country’s interests better than it does.
Deputy CDU chair and education minister Karin Prien urged patience. “Some are disappointed that, after the CDU’s return to the chancellorship, their ideas have not yet come to fruition” she told the paper. She stressed that Merz is a classic centre‑politician who values transparent democratic processes, even if they can be slow. “Some would like more disruption-even within our own party” she added.
During the afternoon session on Friday, Merz will be confirmed as party chairman for the first time as chancellor. He last won nearly 90 % of the vote on the chairmanship in 2024.
