The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is facing internal dissent as a newly formed initiative, “Compass Mitte” calls for a significant shift in the party’s political direction. The group’s emergence and subsequent critique of the CDU’s current trajectory under chairman Friedrich Merz, has prompted a sharp rebuke from within the party’s leadership.
Speaking to “Der Spiegel”, Deputy CDU Chairman Karl-Josef Laumann directly dismissed the calls for a course correction, asserting that the party’s core values are firmly rooted in its conservative, liberal and Christian-social traditions. Laumann, who also serves as Minister for Labour, Health and Social Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia, emphasized the importance of upholding these traditions, particularly the Christian-social element, arguing the CDU is already successfully embodying them. This marks the first public response from a member of the party’s inner circle regarding “Compass Mitte.
The initiative’s founding declaration expresses concern that the CDU’s political spectrum has narrowed under Merz’s leadership, marginalizing the party’s social and liberal wings. Notable figures, including former CDU General Secretary Ruprecht Polenz, Member of Parliament Roderich Kiesewetter and CDA (the CDU’s association of young professionals) Vice Chair Monica Wüllner, are amongst the initial signatories. “Compass Mitte” specifically demands a more robust and unwavering distancing from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) across all political levels.
However, Laumann questioned the need for a new organizational platform to achieve this. He argued that the fundamental incompatibility of the AfD’s ideology with the CDU’s Christian-social, liberal and conservative principles renders any potential for compromise or alignment fundamentally untenable, thereby negating the need for a formalized division within the CDU to address this issue.
The emergence of “Compass Mitte” highlights a deeper tension within the CDU, revealing a struggle between those advocating for a broader, more centrist approach and those prioritizing a more defined conservative stance. Its rejection by a senior party figure like Laumann indicates a determination within the CDU leadership to maintain its existing course, despite the growing chorus of internal voices calling for change. The situation underscores the delicate balance the CDU must navigate as it seeks to remain a broad-based “Volkspartei” (people’s party) in a rapidly shifting political landscape.