Friedrich Merz has an off-the-cuff definition: "A people's party is a people's party if it reaches all groups in a society." And he adds that this applies to his party “only to some extent”.
Merz lists groups: employees, companies, socially committed people, families - a party is a people's party "if it has a sounding board there, if it is seen there as a political force that is able to address and solve people's concerns and the problems of the population." They want to get there again, “we will fight for this goal,” said Merz.
Is the CDU only “partly” a people’s party? In Alice Weidel's opinion, it is no longer even that. After the AfD victory in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the co-party leader declared: "This clearly shows that we have replaced the CDU as the people's party."
What does it take to be a people's party?
Merz already mentioned an important point in his answer: A people's party does not make politics for a specific group or is centrally dedicated to an issue such as the Pirate Party or the Animal Welfare Party. “It is characterized by a breadth of programmatic offerings,” explains political scientist Aiko Wagner from the Free University of Berlin.
In the ARD interview, Wagner mentions further criteria: "The sheer size in terms of voting shares, in seats in parliament." This also included the duration, stability of the party and participation in government. “All of this should already be in place so that one can speak of a people’s party,” says Wagner. In addition, there is the bundling of interests, social roots through local associations, for example, and the “preliminary pacification of social conflicts,” says Wagner.
At the same time, he points out that political science does not have as clear definitions as in other areas - and these are also politically contested: "If the AfD claims to be a people's party, then it does not want to make an analytical contribution to political science, but rather to make a point in the political competition."
Can you be a people's party "in parts", as the Chancellor said about the CDU? Wagner suspects that Merz meant it locally, "that the CDU is only still a people's party in parts of Germany." After all, the party has just missed entry into the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The criterion of size is therefore no longer present there. However, Wagner sees all other requirements still being met at the Union.
AfD “on the best path” to becoming a people’s party
And the AfD, which now describes itself as a people's party? “She has managed to penetrate more and more social areas,” says Wagner. She's the size now. What's missing: "It doesn't yet have the stable membership base that other popular parties have." And another aspect is not present: "It does not yet have any long-term, stable frontline organizations - such as churches or trade unions - so that communication with society can only be directly from the party and not mediated."
Even in terms of programmatic breadth, Wagner does not yet see the AfD at the level of a people's party. "It is a very pronounced right-wing party and doesn't reach far into the middle." In addition, it has only been successful for a relatively short time. "Intermediate highs are not a sign that you are a people's party." But political scientist Wagner also says: "It's well on its way there."
The era of popular parties may be over
CSU leader Markus Söder said almost exactly two years ago that the Union was "perhaps the last remaining large, largest and only people's party." A CDU chancellor is now questioning whether that is still true. But is it still possible for the popular parties to survive?
"In many other large European democracies there was a massive decline in popular parties that began decades ago," explains Wagner from the Free University of Berlin. France is one example in which Emmanuel Macron and his “En Marche” movement have pushed several established parties to the brink of insignificance. In addition to the Union in Germany, Wagner also mentions the Social Democrats in Spain and Labor in Great Britain, which have been able to maintain themselves as popular parties for a long time. But times have changed overall.
Our modern societies are much more heterogeneous, pluralistic and individual than before - Wagner sees these as the main reasons why it is increasingly difficult to be a people's party. “As social realities change, party preferences sometimes also change, so there is more dynamism.” It has become more difficult to unite people under a 'big tent'. "In this respect, it is true that the age of popular parties seems to be a bit over."
