DistantNews
Support us
🇸🇪 Sweden /Elections & Politics

Shock and self-criticism at CDU election gathering: “Germans are never satisfied”

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Outcome reported
  • CDU supporters and lawmakers in Magdeburg reacted with shock and self-criticism after the AfD won a major victory.
  • Party members linked the result to public dissatisfaction over expensive energy, high fuel prices and fears about jobs.
  • Some CDU supporters criticized Friedrich Merz and the Berlin government, while acknowledging voters’ right to choose the AfD.

The mood at the CDU’s election gathering in Magdeburg turned funereal after the AfD’s sweeping victory was announced. Germany’s Christian Democrats had expected a poor result, but not a defeat of this scale.

People are very dissatisfied, and the AfD has managed to pick up on that. They promise all sorts of things and say they will save the country. I just don’t understand what from. Things are going well for us, even though there are of course major individual differences.

· Eva FeussnerThe CDU member of Saxony-Anhalt’s state parliament discussing the AfD’s appeal.

Eva Feussner, a 63-year-old CDU member of the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, said many people were deeply dissatisfied, a feeling the AfD had managed to capture. The party, she said, promises to save the country, although she questioned what it would be saving Germany from.

Feussner said high energy and fuel prices were leaving people with less money and creating a major source of anxiety. Many people she meets believe they are doing reasonably well, she said, but still worry about losing their jobs. In her view, the AfD is effective at spreading fear.

Germans complain all the time. They are never satisfied. I hope things are better in Sweden.

· Karl GerholdA CDU supporter criticizing what he sees as widespread public dissatisfaction.

Karl Gerhold, a 75-year-old business owner who works in energy management, expressed frustration with what he called Germans’ constant complaints. “Germans complain all the time. They are never satisfied. I hope things are better in Sweden,” he said. He argued that Germany has strong infrastructure and that most people are doing fairly well, but the AfD exploits public discontent.

We need a charismatic leader, but Mr. Merz is not that person.

· Karl GerholdHis criticism of CDU leader and Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Gerhold also criticized the CDU’s leadership. “We need a charismatic leader, but Mr. Merz is not that person,” he said, calling the Berlin government a poor compromise. CDU lawmaker Franziska Weidinger described the result as terrible and a hard blow, but said the party must respect the voters’ decision. “The AfD has managed to convince voters. It is citizens’ right to vote as they have done,” she said.

The AfD has managed to convince voters. It is citizens’ right to vote as they have done.

· Franziska WeidingerThe CDU state parliament member acknowledging the election result.
About this summary

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog