(de-news.net) – Chancellor Friedrich Merz is seeking to reassure the CDU after internal criticism of his cabinet reshuffle, pledging stronger communication and renewed momentum ahead of a politically difficult autumn. Senior party leaders defended his leadership, reaffirmed the CDU’s strategic positions, and emphasized party unity despite recent tensions, while the government adjusted its schedule following a week of political upheaval.
CDU General-Secretary Franziska Hoppermann stated that she intended to pursue a strategy centered on credibility, coordinated communication, and closer engagement with the party’s grassroots in an effort to address declining trust among both CDU members and the broader public. In an interview with the Funke Media Group, she argued that restoring confidence would require sincerity, seriousness, and a stronger awareness of the concerns affecting citizens as well as the party’s own membership. According to Hoppermann, rebuilding trust depended not only on communicating policies effectively but also on demonstrating a consistent understanding of the issues people encounter in their daily lives.
As part of that effort to strengthen ties with the party’s local organization, Hoppermann announced that the CDU would reinstate conferences of district party chairs later this year. She described the meetings as an important means of improving coordination and maintaining regular contact with local representatives. Hoppermann also pledged to play an active role in upcoming state election campaigns and to spend more time meeting with volunteers and party members at the local level in order to reinforce the connection between the national leadership and the grassroots level.
Hoppermann mentioned practical concerns such as ensuring school safety and preserving community institutions, she said, demonstrated the importance of listening carefully to constituents and responding to the issues that directly affect their communities. She defended Chancellor Merz against criticism from within the CDU, arguing that his style of communication was direct and authentic. At the same time, she portrayed Merz as attentive and empathetic in personal interactions, saying that he listened carefully to others and was deeply affected by tragic events, including the attack at the CSD parade.
Rejecting suggestions that potentially disappointing CDU performances in the autumn state elections could threaten Merz’s position as either party leader or Chancellor, Hoppermann argued that state elections served fundamentally different political purposes than the Federal Government. She said each contest involved distinct regional objectives, including preserving the CDU’s role as a mainstream governing force and preventing radical parties from entering government. Hoppermann also reaffirmed the CDU’s long-standing incompatibility policy toward both the Left Party and the AfD, arguing that neither party reflected the Union’s political or cultural principles. She further criticized the Left Party for, in her view, failing to confront Islamism and antisemitism with sufficient clarity and said that recent comments by its newly elected leadership illustrated a broader process of internal radicalization.
Merz sees fresh momentum after CDU debate, pledges more cohesive government messaging
Merz, who both serves as head of government and president of the CDU, expressed confidence after a special meeting of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, convened amid criticism over his cabinet reorganization, arguing that the discussion would provide fresh momentum for the governing alliance. While acknowledging that the coming autumn is likely to present one of the coalition’s most demanding political periods because of major reform initiatives and crucial state elections in eastern Germany, he characterized the internal exchange as productive, fair, and conducted in a spirit of mutual respect.
At the opening of a meeting, Merz again defended the broader reshuffle affecting both the Federal Government and the party leadership. According to participants, he also adopted a notably self-critical tone, acknowledging that he had not fulfilled his earlier pledge to cut support for the AfD in half. Reports indicated that he argued the coalition could not expect the AfD’s popularity to decline simply through governing and that the broader political strategy therefore required renewed consideration. All in all, Merz pledged to strengthen coordination and communication among the CDU leadership, the parliamentary group, and the Federal Government in an effort to present a more coherent public message.
Newly elected parliamentary leader Thorsten Frei also dismissed suggestions that Merz had suffered a loss of authority. Instead, Frei portrayed the open criticism as evidence of a healthy democratic political culture in which disagreements could be debated publicly rather than suppressed. At the same time, he acknowledged that the party needed to draw lessons from recent events, improve its performance, and devote greater attention to substantive policy rather than internal disputes.
