Rhineland-Palatinate Minister-President Gordon Schnieder (CDU) has defended the support offered by the CDU party leaders for Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Speaking to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Friday edition) regarding the open letter supporting Merz, Schnieder stated that the clear declarations and commitments made within the document speak for themselves.
He emphasized that the current situation requires focus on leading the country stably, asserting that this necessity should be recognized by everyone right now as it is an inappropriate time for internal personal debates. This pressing need was the driving force behind the initiative, which is why all the state prime ministers of CDU-led states signed it jointly.
According to the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, citing multiple sources, this letter was not prompted by any request from the Chancellor’s office. Instead, ongoing speculations and statements within the CDU from the previous weekend served as the catalyst. The completed letter reached the Chancellor only a few hours before its publication.
Furthermore, it was reported that the Chancellor’s office was not involved in the drafting process whatsoever. It was also explained that if the interpretation of the text were so crucial, that the name “Friedrich Merz” was not explicitly mentioned but rather vaguely stated that they stood together supporting the Federal Chancellor, then they could easily have inserted his name.
