Hamburg CDU Leader Calls for Party Unity, Criticizes Government Reshuffle

Hamburg's CDU leader Dennis Thering has called for unity within the party, urging colleagues to avoid internal debates about the chancellorship. Thering acknowledged that the mood among the party base is "not optimal" following a recent government reshuffle, which he described as having "not gone smoothly."

“

The mood at the base is currently not optimal.

Thering criticized the federal government's recent cabinet changes, stating that "everyone noticed" the disarray. Despite this, he firmly rejected the idea of questioning Chancellor Friedrich Merz's position, emphasizing that Merz was elected for a four-year term and must prove himself during these challenging times. Thering stressed that this is the expectation of the regional party associations as well.

“

The whole personal reshuffle did not go smoothly, and everyone noticed that. There is nothing to sugarcoat.

The catalyst for the recent government reshuffle was the public announcement by former CDU parliamentary group leader Jens Spahn that he and his husband had a child via surrogacy in the United States, circumventing German law. Spahn resigned following significant criticism within the CDU and a request from the Chancellor. The subsequent decisions, particularly the dismissal of Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, led to widespread discontent within the party.

“

I don't think much of a personal discussion about the chancellor.

Thering insisted that the federal government must now move forward and initiate further reform packages. He highlighted that Germany faces major challenges and that the government needs to "deliver" on its commitments. The CDU leader warned against prematurely initiating discussions about the chancellorship, advocating instead for a focus on governance and policy implementation.

“

Germany faces major challenges. Therefore, the federal government must continue to deliver now.