Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner criticizes CDU boss Friedrich Merz and demands co-determination of the heads of state in the candidate of the Chancellor

Von NAG Redaktion

In einem Interview hat der Regierende Bürgermeister von Berlin, Kai Wegner, deutlich gegen den CDU-Bundesvorsitzenden Friedrich Merz ausgeteilt. Auf die Frage, ob Merz der geeignete Kanzlerkandidat der Union sei, antwortete Wegner lediglich, dass Merz an den Gesprächen auf entscheidender Stelle beteiligt sein werde. Diese Aussage kann als klare Abneigung gegen Merz interpretiert werden, da Wegner ihm damit offen die Eignung abspricht. Die CDU plant, die Frage nach dem Kanzlerkandidaten rund ein Jahr vor der kommenden Bundestagswahl zu klären. Allerdings hat Wegner sich mit diesen Aussagen nicht ausdrücklich auf die Seite des CSU-Chefs und bayerischen Ministerpräsidenten Markus Söder gestellt. Die Frage …
In an interview, the governing mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, clearly distributed against the CDU federal chairman Friedrich Merz. When asked whether Merz was the suitable Chancellor candidate of the Union, Wegner only replied that Merz would be involved in the talks in a crucial position. This statement can be interpreted as a clear aversion to Merz, since Wegner openly explains the suitability to him. The CDU plans to clarify the question of the Chancellor candidate around a year before the upcoming Bundestag election. However, Wegner has not expressly stood on the side of the CSU boss and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder with these statements. The question … (Symbolbild/MB)

In an interview, the ruling mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner, clearly distributed against the CDU federal chairman Friedrich Merz. When asked whether Merz was the suitable Chancellor candidate of the Union, Wegner only replied that Merz would be involved in the talks in a crucial position. This statement can be interpreted as a clear aversion to Merz, since Wegner openly explains the suitability to him. The CDU plans to clarify the question of the Chancellor candidate around a year before the upcoming Bundestag election.

However, Wegner has not expressly stood on the side of the CSU boss and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder with these statements. The question of the Chancellor's candidate will be answered next year, said Wegner. He also demanded that there should be a joint decision on this question. For this purpose, both CDU state chairs and the Union Minister President should come together. In any case, one wants to prevent a new embarrassment as when choosing Armin Laschet.

Furthermore, Wegner criticized Merz's conservative course. He recalled that the CDU elections always won in the political center. He also addressed these words to the new CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann, who, like Merz, belongs to the conservative wing of the Union. Some of Linnemann's statements were observed primarily by the more liberal CDU members. The Berlin CDU state association is also considered rather moderate.

The criticism of Merz has recently become louder after he had explained in a ZDF interview that the CDU could work together with the right-wing radical AfD at the local level. This statement triggered a storm of indignation both inside and outside the CDU. Merz rowed back later.

Kai Wegner was one of the first CDU heads of government from the countries, who clearly spoke out against a CDU cooperation with the AfD at all levels. He now repeated these statements and emphasized that the fire wall for the AfD did not crumble.