Nina Warken, chairwoman of the CDU Women’s Union and the federal health minister, defended CDU’s top candidate for the Baden‑Württemberg state election, Manuel Hagel, after accusations resurfaced about an old video he recorded years ago. She said the current debate is a campaign maneuver and that she has worked closely with Hagel for many years, describing him as a responsible politician with modern views on gender equality and the role of women in society and politics. Warken noted that Hagel himself admitted the clip was a mistake, adding that he would phrase it differently today.
In the eight‑year‑old video, the then‑29‑year‑old state parliamentarian visited a secondary school in his constituency. He focused on a girl who asked the first question, saying, “I’ll never forget that first question – her name was Eva, brown hair, hazel eyes”. The clip was posted by Green Party member and Bundestag representative Zoe Mayer.