Elections in Germany: turmoil at the CDU after the defeat of Armin Laschet in the legislative elections – archyde

In the aftermath of the historic CDU-CSU debacle in the legislative elections, Armin Laschet did not intend to admit defeat. “We are ready to initiate discussions to form a ‘Jamaican coalition’ [en raison des couleurs du drapeau jamaïcain : noir pour les chrétiens-démocrates, jaune pour les libéraux (FDP) et vert pour les écologistes] “, declared the leader of the German conservatives during a press conference at the headquarters of the CDU, Monday, September 27, in Berlin.

Is this outstretched hand likely to succeed? For this, Armin Laschet would have to be supported by his own troops. However, this is far from being the case. After blocking behind their leader on Sunday evening, when the latter assured that he “Would do everything to form a government led by the CDU-CSU”, despite the first estimates giving the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the lead, several heavyweights of the German right said on Monday that they seemed wiser to surrender.

From the start of the day, the tone was set by Michael Kretschmer, the Minister President of Saxony. In this Land in the east of the country, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party came first, with 24.6% of the vote, far ahead of the CDU, which only collected 19.2%, almost 10 points less than in 2017. “This year, voters have made it clear to us: ‘The CDU is not our first choice.’ The attitude of acting as if nothing had happened will lead us to ruin ”, regretted Mr. Kretschmer, Monday morning, in front of the headquarters of the party.

“The ball is in Olaf Scholz’s court”

“We lost the elections. We have no claims to make ”, for his part said Tobias Hans, the Minister-President of the Saar, also came to attend the meeting of the executive committee of the CDU on Monday morning. “I don’t think we can claim to lead the next government”, had affirmed, a little earlier, the chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Bundestag, Norbert Röttgen, on the channel ARD. “We are second. The ball is therefore in the court of Olaf Scholz and the Social Democrats, not that of the CDU-CSU. We’ve lost. Point “, was also annoyed Tilman Kuban, president of the Junge Union, the youth organization of the party.

For its part, the Bavarian CSU was also reserved vis-à-vis the ambitions expressed the day before by Mr. Laschet. “When you come second, you cannot claim the formation of a government. At most, we can only formulate a proposal ”CSU President Markus Söder said from Munich on Monday morning. “From this point of view, a “Jamaican coalition” is an option ”, he added in a very unenthusiastic tone.

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