Press
The sparks are flying between the CDU and the FDP. The re-election of Ursula von der Leyen sparked a dispute – now an angry Wolfgang Kubicki is getting involved.
Berlin – The FDP and the Union are often supposedly on the same side in the German party landscape. This is underlined not least by the regular government cooperation between the two camps in the past. But now there is a huge clash between the CDU/CSU and the FDP. The quarrel was triggered by a vote in the European Parliament. The dispute has reached its preliminary climax in the tough confrontation between top politicians. Namely: between Wolfgang Kubicki and Friedrich Merz.
But first things first. The whole trouble started with the re-election of Ursula von der Leyen as President of the EU Commission. The CDU politician won the vote on Thursday – but without the votes of the five FDP members of the EU Parliament. The Union, in turn, was very angry about the behavior of the Liberals.
Quarrel between FDP and CDU – Merz attacks liberals: “There has been hardly any understanding for months”
“For months now, I have had little understanding for the attitude of a whole series of FDP members in both the European Parliament and the German Bundestag,” said CDU leader Merz in the German RadioMerz was even clearer, saying that it was important that von der Leyen could count on a strong European center, “and that of course includes the Greens.” It was about less regulation, a focus on defense, integration and the competitiveness of industry in Europe. “That can be done without the FDP,” Merz added. Not only the dismissal of the FDP, but also the positive emphasis on the Greens is explosive. Merz’s possible rapprochement with the Greens is also controversial within the party. In addition, there has already been speculation about a possible deal between Habeck and Merz for the 2025 federal election.
Manfred Weber, chairman of the conservative European People’s Party in the EU Parliament, also intervened with clear words directed at the FDP. “The FDP has said goodbye to serious work in Europe under the impression of its fight for survival in Germany,” Weber told the editorial network Germany (Friday editions). “It is regrettable that it is now seeking salvation in blocking.”
FDP fires back at Union accusations – “extremely dangerous in terms of democratic theory”
The FDP, on the other hand, did not let the accusations go and immediately fired back. “We believe it is extremely dangerous in terms of democratic theory to only vote for one candidate in order to somehow still be allowed to participate,” EU politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann told the AFP news agency. “Equally dangerous is the Union’s claim that you have to dance when the election winner expects something.”
Strack-Zimmermann accused von der Leyen of not having sufficiently addressed the interests of the FDP. “Unfortunately, she did not consider it necessary to respond to our outstanding questions, which we had sent her by letter, but instead focused on the Greens,” explained the FDP politician.
Kubicki publicly attacks Merz: “I wish you a good journey with the Greens – into the abyss”
Von der Leyen’s team then “frantically” tried to reach her by phone on Thursday, when the election for the Commission presidency was already underway and it was clear that the FDP did not support re-election, criticized Strack-Zimmermann. She had “taken note” of this. The election decision against von der Leyen was made “exclusively on the basis of the content that we have also publicly advocated for months.” Strack-Zimmermann added: “The sharp reaction of the Greens and Conservatives to the FDP’s voting behavior in the European Parliament irritates us greatly.”
The mutual accusations are by no means the end of it. The dispute continues at the federal level. On X (formerly Twitter), FDP veteran Wolfgang Kubicki shared an article from the Bild newspaper that deals with Merz’s statements. The Bundestag Vice President did not hold back in expressing his horror at the CDU leader’s statements. “Dear Friedrich Merz, I wish you a good journey with the Greens – into the abyss. Your Wolfgang,” Kubicki wrote on the short message service.
The sparks are flying between the FDP and the CDU – polls show a potentially explosive constellation
It seems as if the last word in the dispute has not yet been spoken. However, the anger is certainly explosive. In the polls for the 2025 federal election, the FDP has long been fighting for the five percent hurdle. The CDU, on the other hand, is almost consistently the strongest force – and Merz also recently received a poll surprise regarding the K question. However, a strong AfD could make it difficult to form a government in 2025 – and could possibly also lead to cooperation between the CDU and the Greens. (han/AFP)
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