“CDU pure is not economic policy,” says Merkel

Five years after her departure from the Federal Chancellery, Angela Merkel, apparently just back from vacation, is still getting involved in political debates. In a major interview on MagentaTV, the former Chancellor campaigned, among other things, for a female head of state and a course correction for the CDU.

In the talk show “Bestbesatz” with Johannes B. Kerner, the 72-year-old also commented on the causes of her trembling attacks. An overview of the central statements on various topics:

Merkel on Steinmeier's successor

In Merkel's opinion, only a woman is possible to succeed incumbent Frank-Walter Steinmeier: "There are 77 years of history in the Federal Republic of Germany, and there has never been a woman as Federal President." Everyone has to ask themselves “whether now is the time.”

“I know people who are already born and who are female and who could do it,” emphasized Merkel. However, she didn't want to name any names.

Merkel on the CDU's course

She was critical of her own party's current course. “CDU pure is not economic policy,” emphasized the long-time party leader. “The pure CDU has always been about building bridges in all directions of society – and that must be brought to the fore again.”

Merkel to the firewall

“It is right for the CDU to have incompatible decisions when it comes to the AfD and the Left,” emphasized Merkel – although she made differences. With the Left, apart from a major anti-Semitism problem in the Berlin regional association, she sees the difficulty that their basic positions often have “nothing in common” with the CDU. “I find the fact that she doesn’t want to have anything to do with NATO completely unacceptable in today’s times.”

However, Merkel is drawing an even clearer wall to the AfD: "You're trying to divide, you're trying to question the dignity of some people. These are fundamental questions, and that's why, for me, non-cooperation with the AfD is on a completely higher and more fundamental level."

Merkel about her trembling

The tremors that struck Merkel in 2019 during the military honors for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, she now attributes to internal tensions - "probably due to the death of my mother or the fact that I knew I was going to quit." When the body sends such a “sign,” it is important “that you take your time or that you create modalities that you can live with.” She then only completed military honors while sitting. “I didn’t need anything else.”