Following a narrow defeat in the Baden‑Württemberg state election, Johannes Winkel, the chairman of the Junge Union (JU), openly criticised the CDU. “We need concrete answers to the problems we face instead of abstract preambles” he told the “Welt”. He argued that the federal party conference held in Stuttgart two weeks earlier had been an ideal occasion to address issues such as social‑state reforms.
During the conference the party deliberately avoided heated debate or controversy in order to present a unified front ahead of the upcoming state elections in Baden‑Württemberg and Rhineland‑Palatin. Winkel dismissed that strategy. “We did not do ourselves a favour” he said. “Before major elections you must show people what you stand for. A clear compass and a willingness to engage in debate would have put us in a better light”.
He warned that the shifts triggered by demographic change, artificial intelligence, and war in Europe are so massive and obvious that the CDU can no longer evade a concrete position. “The model of asymmetrical demobilisation feels outdated. The 2010s are over” he stated. Winkel urges the CDU to dare to develop its own clear programme.
In coalition negotiations, he advises a hard line: “The CDU has no reason to move even a millimetre away from its own positions, especially if the Greens suddenly distance themselves from their conservative campaign stances. No compromise will be made”.
