Following a contentious union proposal in the German Bundestag, the parliamentary leader of the CDU’s faction, Thorsten Frei, defended the approach of his party. The CDU, he claimed, had hoped for a majority for its initiatives on migration policy “from the middle of the parliament” but this did not materialize.
However, Frei argued that the CDU could not simply leave these initiatives to the government parties or the AfD. “People expect more from us than mere expressions of concern” he said. “We must take action. We had hoped for action from the federal government, action from the middle of the parliament.”
When asked if the current vote was a preparation for a CDU minority government after the election, Frei responded, “Not at all.” He added, “The current situation shows that minority governments in Germany do not function, at least not at the federal level. We have to make such significant and far-reaching decisions that we need a stable government with its own majority.”
Frei also set out demands for what the CDU expects from a future coalition partner. “We want a policy shift, not just a government participation and that means the partner must also join this shift” he said.