Angela Merkel from the CDU party chairmanship, the SPD wants to politically turn it around. After the election Slippers in Bavaria and Hesse, the Grand coalition. From Berlin, Sabine Kinkartz reported.
The news spread like a wild fire in the political Berlin, and she seemed like a bombshell: After 18 years at the helm of the CDU, Angela Merkel, does not want to stand again for the party chairmanship. The Chancellor wants you to stay still until the next Federal election and by all political Offices to say goodbye. “I have the feeling that today it is time to begin a new Chapter,” said the 64-Year-old after the meetings of their party and is unexpectedly from your Credo, to the Chancellery and the party chair in one Hand.
Two weeks after the significant losses incurred by the CSU in the Landtag elections in Bavaria, the CDU had lost in the Hessen election on Sunday, more than eleven percentage points, and only 27 per cent can be achieved. There is no doubt that the Hessian Christian Democrats “can achieve considerably better results if they had not been under the negative political influence,” Merkel said.
Unsparing Settlement
Ten minutes is the very personal statement, Angela Merkel, Konrad-Adenauer-house, the CDU took made Headquarters in Berlin. The decision, on the CDU party Congress in December not to re-compete, have you already taken after the summer break and planned, it to your party next weekend on the long-planned retreat. “Today I have the impression that I should wait with my conclusions and explanations, because every day counts also for the clarification of things.”
Angela Merkel and Hesse Minister-President and CDU-Chef, Volker Bouffier
It had looked after the state election in Bavaria two weeks ago, as the Grand coalition wool of governance in Berlin, is on the day after the state election in Hesse, everything is completely different. “I am convinced that we need to stop and I hope that we take yesterday, the day of the election as a turning point, that we put everything to the test, what we have at the latest since the election until today is said and done,” urges Angela Merkel.
Staircase wit of the history
“If people write to us to book, what do you think of the operations with the formation of the government at the Federal level and of the work of the Federal government in the first seven months, then this is a clear Signal that it can’t go on,” said Merkel, who, in their opinion, a merciless balance sheet of the previous cooperation between the Union and the SPD moved. The image of the donor, the government, was “unacceptable”, “in large Parts of very ordinary work” have so far had no Chance at all to be perceived.
The sun but not due to the fact that the work had not been give results. “I’m talking about, that it would actually be a staircase wit of the history, if one would have to break after six months the staff about this Federal government just because you are in a position to not have to work so that it is the people repels.”
Successor in the wings
Angela Merkel is known for the fact that they observed things like long and analyzed. After the disastrous election results of the last two weeks, you will be come to the conclusion that you can only keep a partial renunciation of power, the reins still in Hand. Because, like no other, the Chancellor and thus Head of the months of fractious Grand coalition in Berlin is made responsible for the fact that, as previously in Bavaria, the CSU, now the CDU has retracted in the state of Hesse, double-digit losses in the regional elections.
For their decision to relinquish the party chairmanship, received Merkel in the meetings, a standing ovation. The relief that now something is set in motion, is clearly felt. Who will follow Angela Merkel at the CDU Executive chair, this discussion wants to keep the incumbent out. As a potential candidate, among other things, CDU General Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Minister of health, Jens Spahn and former Union parliamentary leader, Friedrich Merz your hat in the Ring thrown in.
Also in the SPD, it ferments violently
The quake in the CDU is followed by the social Democrats to the attention of. SPD Leader Andrea Nahles spoke of a “extraordinary performance”, which provided Angela Merkel for the CDU. You’ve taken the lead, as the CDU’s “stuck in a deep crisis”. “I think that the CDU is committed to her a great debt of gratitude”, said Nahles. You have a good personal relationship with Merkel, said the SPD Leader. You hope that the “good cooperation”, even after the exchange of the CDU in the top set.
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SPD Leader Andrea Nahles on Angela Merkel
Because the SPD wants to put the leadership of the Grand coalition. Anyway, once up to the agreed mid-term review by the end of 2019. Until then, must change, however, a lot of significantly, so Nahles after a meeting of the SPD Executive Board. There, the party leadership had discussed the also for the social Democrats disastrous outcome of state elections. In Hesse, the SPD went down on Sunday to 19.8 per cent, well behind the CDU and the Greens, only the third strongest force.
Claims against the coalition partners
It was a “very bitter election result,” said Andrea Nahles, and took the Hessian SPD top candidate Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel. Not that he was responsible for the defeat, rather, it was “clear that the Federal policy did not for a tail wind, but for against the wind”. “We must draw the consequences, because you can not just move on to the agenda,” said Nahles.
Consequences, especially in the work of the Grand coalition in Berlin. In a six-page position paper, to be negotiated with the Union, urging the SPD-party leader on decisions, as yet, controversial issues. Specifically, Nahles has called the discussion about labour market reforms, Hartz IV, which should lead to concrete Considerations of the “social state 2025”, as well as the climate and the politics in Europe. Here, it should be as soon as possible for clarifications, because the SPD “in the everyday policy-dazzle again and again in contradictions”. “When we hear that people connect with us no issues at the Federal level, that you can’t tell what the SPD is, then it is up to us to create this clarity.”
How long the Grand coalition still holds?
Like the CDU, the SPD will hold this coming Sunday and Monday in a closed meeting. It will but go alone the content. Personnel changes are not planned in the SPD leadership. Nahles will remain SPD-Boss. With voltage, you will track who is the successor of Angela Merkel. Because the further cooperation in the coalition will also depend on who Nahles in the future, the Union must communicate. There may be also at the top of the CSU.
Even Horst Seehofer, party leader of the Christian social. His relationship to Angela Merkel is considered to be broken. To retreat Angela Merkel’s party Chairman of the CDU, he was unusually moderate. “It is a pity. I say explicitly: It is a pity,” said Seehofer. “We have done some discussions, but it was always based on trust, mutual respect, and supported collaboration and in this respect, I think it is a pity, that now of this turning point should take place.”