Concerns are being raised regarding the direction of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) following the election of Jens Spahn as parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag. Katharina Dröge, co-leader of the Green Party faction, expressed apprehension in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, observing a perceived shift in the CDU’s political orientation.
Dröge indicated concern over what she described as Spahn’s apparent fascination with the political style of former U.S. President Donald Trump and his close connections to the Republican Party in America. She warned that this approach could pull the CDU away from its traditional center-ground position. “This is a path that would lead the CDU away from the middle. This course must not prevail in the Union” Dröge stated.
The Green Party parliamentarian based her concerns, in part, on Spahn’s handling of the nomination of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf for the Federal Constitutional Court. She criticized the Union’s swift capitulation to protests surrounding the candidate, attributing it to a “right-wing campaign”. Dröge voiced fears that this precedent could have wider repercussions beyond the judicial appointment process. “There could be so much more damaged if this happens more often.
Dirk Wiese, parliamentary group secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) faction, also remarked on Spahn’s assumption of the leadership role. He expressed surprise that Friedrich Merz had delegated the chairmanship to Spahn, suggesting the decision could be linked to the future leadership of the CDU beyond Merz. “But that is a matter for the Union” Wiese added.