Erwin Huber, the former chairman of Bavaria’s CSU, cautions his successor Markus Söder that the federal government could turn into a stalemate unless he adopts a more collaborative stance. In a conversation with “Der Spiegel”, Huber urged Söder to “finally learn to play constructively with the Merz team instead of fabricating false remarks from the sidelines”. Huber, who was once Bavaria’s economy and finance minister, said many middle‑class CSU voters expect real solutions rather than empty rhetoric.
Huber’s criticism is triggered by Söder’s recent remarks to the federal cabinet. Earlier that week, the CSU chairman called for a faster pace of reforms in “Stern”. At the same time, Söder is pursuing tax cuts for companies, heirs and high earners despite a budget deficit-a direction that clashes with proposals from SPD leader and finance minister Lars Klingbeil. According to Huber, Söder’s approach in Berlin sets “tight deadlines, coupled with a ‘no’ to many reform steps”. He also accuses Söder of demanding large new expenditures and an unrealistic tax policy that is neither conceptually sound nor properly calculated.
Huber accused Söder of “obscuring the truth” adding that the premier “sacrifices the balanced budget at the expense of families, care and wages” thereby courting widespread discontent. Huber contrasted this with the premier’s public statements toward his coalition partners, calling them contradictory. He warned that a “double strategy”-being part of the coalition and playing in opposition-cannot succeed amid multiple crises. The 79‑year‑old asked, “Where is a CSU tax program? Where is a pension and health concept?” He stressed that the times are too grave to entertain political showmanship and that the coalition’s trust deficit is too high for such antics.
According to Huber, politics currently faces a historic task in defence, economy and social security. “This would already be a monumental job in good times and requires discipline, teamwork and foresight” he said. He urged Söder to follow the example of former finance minister Theo Waigel and contribute constructively, framing the CSU leader’s duty as one owed both to the state and the party.