Sociologist Steffen Mau views Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the CDU as suffering from considerable deficiencies in governing. Mau told the “Handelsblatt” that, in his estimation, the current politics is characterized by a reactive, unstable mode. He pointed out that while the Chancellor is swayed by various trends in public discourse, he may also lack the professional methods required for systematic policy leadership.
However, Mau places the blame not solely on Merz. He stresses that the problems are rooted in the programmatic weakness of his entire party. According to the sociologist, the CDU’s foundational program has been lost; the party often lacks a clear identity of who it is and what its ultimate goals are. These gaps leave a lack of structure or framework for political action. While Merz is clear in describing the problems, the implementation of political initiatives lacks professionalism, leading to a failure in political craftsmanship.
Mau also criticized the center parties for their inability to develop persuasive blueprints for the future. They have stopped serving as agenda-setters. Instead, they oscillate between adopting rhetoric from the AfD and distancing themselves from the far-right elements, which keeps the topic at the forefront. This indecisiveness suggests that politics may no longer possess the necessary power to drive societal change.
Therefore, Mau does not consider a change in leadership to be a solution. He argues that any successor would face the same set of realities. Instead, he maintains that the federal government must focus on delivering results, particularly in modernizing the state, reducing bureaucracy, and investing in education and infrastructure. These areas enjoy broad social agreement. His advice to the CDU, based on this assessment, is simple: “Then just do it.”
