The CDU party leadership convened a two-day crisis summit on Sunday to discuss the consequences of the last three state election defeats. Speaking from the CDU party headquarters in Berlin, CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann acknowledged the significant warning signs exhibited by the recent state elections. She stated that the focus of the meeting is twofold: regaining public trust in the party’s policies while ensuring that the country’s modernization goals are pursued. Crucially, she added that they must also address the daily reality of people’s lives in a different way and acknowledge current challenges.
Hoppermann further clarified that the meeting “is not a magic bullet, but the beginning of a process.” She emphasized the need for changes-both in government policy and the party itself-to help the CDU return to its former strength and reinforce its claim as a people’s party, a goal the leadership unanimously agrees upon.
This gathering of approximately 25 party board members follows the CDU’s first exit from a state parliament in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern at the end of September. Faced with recent nationwide public opinion polling figures falling below 20 percent, the CDU leadership is discussing several ways the party can respond to growing public dissatisfaction. A key point of consideration during these discussions is also the collaboration between the CDU and its coalition partners in the national black-red federal government.
