Comment: Five meager pages remain of the threatened uprising against Merz

Five pages remain about the alleged overthrow of the Chancellor, the replacement of the party leader or at least a substantive course correction in the government. The CDU prime ministers had considered and demanded nothing less in the past few weeks. So now five pages that Germany's proud CDU writes like a political force in the opposition: "What has to happen now."

What would have to happen so that perhaps the last remaining people's party can still turn the corner and be able to significantly control the fortunes of the republic for another 75 years cannot be found in the paper that the Chancellor, his general secretary, the parliamentary group leader, the state chairmen and prime ministers have bent over. It is a hodgepodge of rushes, garnished with self-evident facts and political demands that the People's Party should have launched long ago.

The CDU now wants to ensure that life remains affordable, that it is fair and that everyone feels safe. The party believes the solution lies in individual issues such as a lower electricity tax, instead of looking at the big picture. She wants to reduce one tax, but does not change the government's decision to increase other taxes on food. And the Chancellor casually declares the tax reform to be a “tariff adjustment with minor changes” instead of fighting for the big hit that was promised. But there they are again: the constraints in everyday government life.