Following the joint statement from the state chancellors, Christian von Stetten, the chairman of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Circle in the Union parliamentary group, has officially backed the Chancellor. Speaking to the “taz,” von Stetten asserted that the leadership question within the CDU is not genuinely being addressed, concluding, “The leadership question in the CDU is not a priority, and they have never seriously grappled with it.”
He further explained that Friedrich Merz and his reform agenda were not truly validated until the CDU federal party conference in February, where they received over 91 percent support. “The Chancellor knows exactly what reforms our country needs now, and he has the full backing of our Bundestag colleagues,” von Stetten stated. Ultimately, he concluded that the nation requires these necessary reforms, and for this purpose, Friedrich Merz is the right person, in the right place, at the right time.
