German Health Minister Nina Warken Seeks Greater Female Influence in Politics and Society
Berlin, Germany – German Health Minister Nina Warken, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has announced her candidacy for the presidency of the CDU’s women’s union, citing a need for greater female representation in the party and society.
In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Warken emphasized the importance of women holding more prominent positions within the party and government, stating, “There is still a lot of room for growth in terms of women in offices of the Union, both in the faction and in the party and in the government.” She expressed her desire to succeed Annette Widmann-Mauz, who is not seeking re-election and faces competition from Ina Scharrenbach, the Minister of Urban Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The women’s union, with 95,000 members, has a significant influence within the CDU, with its president automatically sitting on the party’s federal executive board. Warken, who has received “a lot of support from the state associations” believes she can balance her roles as health minister and women’s union president, stating, “Both sides can benefit: the women’s union with a strong voice at the cabinet table and I as a minister with a strong women’s union behind me.”
Warken plans to reorganize the women’s union, focusing on supporting the party in areas where it is not as strong, including the new federal states. She also aims to advocate for key issues in the coalition agreement, including tax relief for childcare and tougher penalties for domestic violence against women, emphasizing, “This must be implemented now and I will take a stand for it.”
When asked about the perception that CDU leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz does not prioritize women’s issues, Warken disagreed, stating, “Friedrich Merz has no problem working with us and involving women; he works just as well with women as with men.” However, she acknowledged the importance of increasing the visibility of women, saying, “It’s not sustainable in the long run that only one woman sits in the coalition committee.” On Merz’s decision to appoint her, Warken praised his ability to balance assertiveness with empathy, stating, “He has the necessary empathy and I also have the necessary assertiveness.