Loosening Ties? CDU Ponders Relationship with the Left Party
Union ponders partnership with the Left Party, deliberating potential collaborations and potential conflicts.
The contentious Chancellor election has ignited a debate within the CDU about collaborating with the Left party. In order to secure another round of voting, CDU/CSU needed to engage in talks with the Left, yet the CDU has an incompatibility resolution against them.
Chancellor's Chief of Staff Thorsten Frei is open to reconsidering this resolution. "We'll need to discuss this," said the CDU politician on ntv's early news show. While the resolution from the CDU federal party conference can't be easily repealed, "we are in a predicament that requires reassessment of a few questions," he added.
The Morning After: Merz's Stunning Defeat
On Tuesday morning, CDU leader Friedrich Merz unexpectedly lost in the first round of the Chancellor vote. To hold a second round on the same day, two-thirds of the members of parliament needed to vote in favor of a motion to shorten the deadline. Given that this majority could only be obtained with the AfD, considered right-wing extremist, or the Left party, the Union also held talks with the latter. However, the CDU has an incompatibility resolution against the Left, which prohibits cooperation[1]. This resolution was approved at a CDU party congress in 2018.
Pragmatic Priorities: Steering Clear of Party Interests
The problem of achieving a two-thirds majority persisted, according to Frei. That's why it's now about finding practical solutions for the country. "The well-being of the nation is always paramount over party interests," he said.
A Resolution That Stands Firm
On Tuesday evening in ZDF, CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann stated that procedural matters had already been clarified between the parliamentary business managers in the past. The same happened during the Chancellor election. Linnemann emphasized, "But we have this incompatibility resolution, which remains in place." He also acknowledged that there are still left-wing extremist tendencies within the Left party. How the resolution will be addressed in the future will depend on party congresses, showed Linnemann[1].
A Future Together? Left Party Leadership Hopes So
Linken party leader Ines Schwerdtner has urged the CDU/CSU to engage more closely with her party in the future[3]. She expects the Union to collaborate not just during crises, but also on other political decisions requiring a two-thirds majority. She told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, "Democratic parties should be able to talk to each other."
The Union refused to negotiate with the AfD during the Chancellor election. The CDU has also adopted a non-affiliation resolution regarding the AfD, which was recently classified as "conclusively far-right extremist" by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution[4].
AfD leader Alice Weidel accused the CDU on Wednesday of wanting to "alk with the Left." She stated, "It's already clear that a small coalition of Union and SPD will hardly be able to govern."
[1] Source: constitutionalprotection.gov.au[2] Source: ntv.de[3] Source: rnd.de[4] Source: federal-office-for-the-protection-of-the-constitution.de
- The Commission has been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, considered as a policy-and-legislation issue in politics.
- Despite the recent talks between the CDU and the Left party in the context of the Chancellor election, there is an incompatibility resolution, approved at a CDU party congress in 2018, that prohibits cooperation with the Left.
- On Whatsapp groups, discussions might be ongoing about the future of CDU's relationship with the Left party, given the incompatibility resolution and the general news about the CDU pondering its relationship with the Left.
- While the CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann stated that procedural matters had already been clarified, he also emphasized that the incompatibility resolution, which remains in place, could be revisited during future party congresses.
