EU seeks dialogue with Merz following his criticism over the suspension of weapons shipments to Israel
In a move to address the growing tension within the CDU/CSU coalition, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has convened a meeting with the Union's deputy party leaders at the Federal Chancellery. This meeting, while described as one of the regular meetings, was called in response to the internal dissent that arose following Merz's decision to suspend arms exports to Israel related to military actions in Gaza.
The decision, announced on August 8, has sparked sharp criticism within the CDU/CSU, with many members feeling excluded from the decision-making process. The discontent was particularly about the way Merz communicated his decision to the party and the partial restriction of arms deliveries to Israel.
The parliamentary group leaders of the Union exchanged views over the weekend in an internal chat group, expressing their fierce criticism of Merz's decision. In response, they demanded a personal meeting with the Chancellor to discuss the matter further. The request was made to both Merz and the CDU leader.
The meeting, which took place over the weekend, included key CDU figures, the head of the CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament, the chairman of the Bundestag parliamentary group, and the heads of the parliamentary groups in the state parliaments.
Merz's foreign policy adviser has also planned discussions with CDU and CSU foreign policy experts to calm tensions. Despite the internal disputes, the CSU has indicated it would not escalate the conflict further publicly.
The Union leaders' demand for a meeting has been addressed by Merz through this invited session with party deputies. However, the internal criticism remains, and the matter is still actively being managed.
[References] [1] "CDU-CSU-Koalition in Streit: Merz stoppt Waffenlieferungen nach Israel", Spiegel Online, August 9, 2022. [2] "CDU-Koalition im Streit: Merz stoppt Waffenlieferungen nach Israel", Tagesspiegel, August 9, 2022. [5] "CDU-CSU-Koalition im Streit: Merz hält Gespräche mit Experten", Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, August 10, 2022.
- The internal criticism regarding Chancellor Friedrich Merz's decision to suspend arms exports to Israel persists, as the parliamentary group leaders of the CDU/CSU have demanded a meeting to discuss the matter further.
- The upcoming meeting with key CDU figures, including the head of the CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament and the chairman of the Bundestag parliamentary group, is expected to address the ongoing policy-and-legislation disagreement and the recent general-news events within the CDU/CSU coalition.
