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POLITICS

German conservatives fear ‘polarisation’ over Merkel succession

The leader of Angela Merkel's party warned of a "polarising" election campaign Monday as Germany's conservatives prepared for fresh talks over the bitter battle to succeed the chancellor at upcoming elections.

Published: 19 April 2021 14:45 CEST
German conservatives fear 'polarisation' over Merkel succession
Armin Laschet talking on Monday. Photo:D PA

“We know from the USA what it means to have polarised election campaigns, and we know how long it took and is taking a new president to once again reconcile the country,” said Armin Laschet, leader of the Christian Democratic
Union (CDU).

“We should spare ourselves that in Germany,” he added.

Laschet, who is state premier of Germany’s most populous state North Rhine-Westphalia, has been locked in a power struggle against his Bavarian challenger Markus Soeder, leader of the CSU party, over who will lead the conservatives into general elections on September 26th.

Overnight talks in Berlin between the two men on Sunday evening produced no result, fuelling speculation that the candidacy issue may be settled by a vote amongst parliamentarians from the CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU,
on Tuesday.

On Monday, Laschet announced further talks among his party’s leadership, while Soeder made a thinly veiled call for the larger CDU to back him as the more popular candidate.

Broad backing

Söder, who declared his bid for the job a week ago, on Monday repeated his promise to step aside “without resentment” if the CDU nominated Laschet.

Yet having refused to back down when the CDU leadership came out in support for Laschet last week, the 54-year-old said he was ready to take the job if he had “broad backing” from the CDU.

“Broad backing means when the board, parliamentary group and rank and file all want it,” he added.

“It is important to respect the members, the MPs and the population in general,” said Söder, noting that he had received support for his candidacy from the wider public.

A recent poll by public broadcaster ARD showed 44 percent of Germans in favour of Söder as most qualified as the CDU-CSU’s chancellor candidate.

Laschet only had 15 percent of support.

Yet Söder also said that he would accept a decision from the CDU if it favoured Laschet.

“We don’t want to and we won’t see a rift between the CSU and the CDU,” he insisted.

READ MORE: Merkel’s conservatives fail to reach deal on who will be chancellor candidate

Surging Greens

Divisions in the conservative camp were further underlined on Monday as the Greens – who are polling second behind the CDU-CSU – announced co-chair Annalena Baerbock as their candidate at a slick press event with no signs of strife within the centre-left party.

Congratulating Baerbock on the nomination, Laschet promised a “fair election campaign” and urged parties to be “respectful” of each other in a veiled warning to Söder.

The CSU leader struck a more combative note, saying that he disagreed with the Greens’ “core ideology” when it came to social and economic policy.

Laschet said he had also invited Söder to Monday’s talks, yet the Bavarian said he would not be able to make it back to Berlin in time to take part.

“We need to talk to each other a lot in these days. The aim is that the CDU-CSU wins the elections, and that can only happen if we are together,” said Laschet.

Member comments

  1. I fail to see how any of this is polarising, seeing as it´s just two different conservative candidates from sister party´s. Perhaps the article title should more correctly read: German conservatives fear change.

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POLITICS

Top UN court throws out Gaza ‘genocide’ suit against Germany

The UN's top court Tuesday threw out Nicaragua's request for emergency measures to stop Germany from sending military supplies to Israel because of its action in the Gaza war.

Published: 30 April 2024 16:31 CEST
Top UN court throws out Gaza 'genocide' suit against Germany

International Court of Justice presiding judge Nawaf Salam said the circumstances presented to the court did not warrant “provisional measures”.

Nicaragua hauled Germany before the ICJ to demand emergency measures to stop Germany sending Israel weapons and other assistance that could be used in the devastating Gaza war. Nicaragua accused Germany of violating the 1948 international genocide convention.

Nicaragua targeted Germany rather than Israel’s main ally, the United States, because Washington did not recognise ICJ jurisdiction in the case, Managua’s lawyers said.

Arms to Israel

Lawyers from the two countries clashed at the court this month, with Nicaragua saying Germany was “pathetic” for providing weapons to Israel and aid to Gazans. Berlin responded that Israel’s security was at the “core” of its foreign policy and that Nicaragua had “grossly distorted” Germany’s supply of military aid to Israel.

“Germany only supplies arms based on a meticulous scrutiny that far exceeds the demands of international law,” said Tania von Uslar-Gleichen, a German representative to the ICJ. Those supplies are “subject to a continuous evaluation of the situation on the ground”, she added.

Nicaragua requested five emergency measures, including that Germany “immediately suspend its aid to Israel, in particular its military assistance including military equipment”.

The judges agreed with Berlin, saying “the court notes that Germany states that it has fulfilled the obligation incumbent on states parties to the Genocide Convention to prevent the occurrence of genocide.” In fact, it noted that “as stated by Germany” there had been a significant decrease in its supply of military material since November 2023.

Gaza genocide claims

The war began on October 7th with an unprecedented Hamas attack that resulted in the deaths of about 1,170 people in Israel, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 34,488 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.

Cases relating to the Gaza war brought before the ICJ are closely followed. In another procedure, South Africa accused Israel — which like the United States is not a member of the court — of perpetuating genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Israel “categorically” denies the South African accusations, which include responsibility for starvation. In that case, the court called on Israel to do everything in its power to prevent genocide and recently ordered the country to “ensure urgent humanitarian assistance” in Gaza without delay.

Though ICJ decisions are binding, the court has no mechanism to enforce them. For example, it ordered Russia to cease its invasion of Ukraine, in vain.

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