CDU wing criticizes ministerial list as "strange" – Wagenknecht sees "fear" in Merz's party

WELT CDU wing criticizes ministerial list as "strange" – Wagenknecht sees "fear" in Merz's party 45 minutes 3 minutes reading time The CDU's social wing and the Lower Saxony regional association are dissatisfied with the CDU's ministerial list. They feel ignored. Sahra Wagenknecht considers the selection to be a Merz fan base. CDU wing criticizes ministerial list as "strange" – Wagenknecht sees "fear" in Merz's party The names of the designated CDU ministers have elicited mixed reactions. CDU leader Friedrich Merz has shown little consideration for proportional representation according to regional associations or party factions. This is not well received throughout the party. The CDU's employee wing (CDA) is dissatisfied with the cabinet lineup. "I have only known a federal government without the CDA's participation from times when the CDU was in opposition," CDA leader Dennis Radtke told the "Süddeutsche Zeitung." This is strange and wrong. "The deficits in the social profile have accompanied us for many years and contribute to the fact that the public perception of the CDU is cold-hearted and antisocial in many areas, even though the welfare state in its current form was shaped by Christian Democrats," Radtke continued. He "finds it strange and wrong that no representative of our party's Christian-social roots is part of the cabinet – that has never happened from Adenauer to Merkel." Because the state associations in Baden-Württemberg and Schleswig-Holstein have nominated two ministers, discontent is growing in Lower Saxony. Even before the official list was announced, it was clear that Lower Saxony, the third-largest association, would miss out. There is talk in Lower Saxony CDU circles of a "declaration of bankruptcy for the leadership of the CDU in Lower Saxony," writes the "Tagesspiegel." Merz demonstrates that "he has no idea about politics, party politics, and proportional representation – or that he doesn't even care about any of that." Kretschmer: "A stroke of luck" for Eastern Germany Saxony's Minister-President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) praised the list of ministers. "With this staff, policy change is truly possible," he said. The personnel proposals were encouraging. They were people who had shown "that they can do it" in business, state, and economic policy. Kretschmer described the designated Minister of Economic Affairs, Katherina Reiche, as a "stroke of luck" for the eastern states. "She knows the particular challenges of the east and has repeatedly advocated for its specific concerns in recent years, for example, in her role as Chair of the German Hydrogen Council," he said. Brandenburg's CDU state chairman, Jan Redmann, welcomed the fact that the designated Minister of Economic Affairs, Katherina Reiche, is a native of Brandenburg. "We will have a whole series of personalities with an East German background in the federal government, both at the ministerial level and at the level of parliamentary state secretaries," Redmann said. Wagenknecht: "Friedrich Merz's fan base" BSW founder Sahra Wagenknecht considers the ministers unsuitable. "This is more like Friedrich Merz's fan base than a cabinet of experts," the party chairwoman told WELT. "The best for our country? The fact that the two most important cabinet positions – the economics and foreign affairs ministries – aren't exactly filled with political heavyweights sends a questionable signal." The appointment of the lesser-known Katherina Reiche (CDU) as the future economics minister shows that the CDU/CSU lacks confidence in the position. "Clearly, the entire CDU leadership is afraid of the economics ministry," said Wagenknecht. Recently, CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann decided to retain his party post. Linnemann had previously been considered for economics minister. "The personnel policy shows that combating the recession is not a high priority under the CDU/CSU-Red coalition," Wagenknecht told WELT. Wagenknecht is also dissatisfied with the future Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul (CDU). "Wadephul is not Roderich Kiesewetter, but he too will be a pro-Taurus minister in the Foreign Office," said the BSW head. "After Annalena Baerbock, however, we urgently need a diplomacy minister who doesn't escalate, but rather calms things down," she demanded. Baerbock congratulates Wadephul Outgoing Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) congratulated her designated successor, Johann Wadephul (CDU), on his nomination. "Congratulations on your nomination as Foreign Minister, dear Johann Wadephul," Baerbock wrote on X. "In your work in these absolutely difficult times, you can rely on a top-class team at the Foreign Office." The digital association Bitkom congratulated the new Digital Minister, Karsten Wildberger, on his position. “Its core task is to make Germany a digitally sovereign country – in business, government and society.”