At this point, you have to start following four CDU players because they are in the running to be the party chief, and ultimately....Chancellor (upon Merkel's retirement in 2021). Today, via N-TV (Germany's commercial TV news network), I noted Jens Spahn having a chat.
Spahn hyped up that the party has to have a goal of attracting 40-percent of the voters, and then spoke to the idea of public debate being more open. It might be worth noting that to reach this mythical '40' number....they'd have to come up with 16 points out of the general public, and it's near impossible right now.
On immigration? Spahn wants a party shift. He pointed out in this interview that the trend among some CDU folks is to skip immigration and avoid any public debate. Spahn was direct about this....if you don't discuss this or come to any rational change....then the topic with the public keeps coming back.
His key quote? "It is important that Germany retains its sovereignty to control, control and limit migration."
The focus among most Germans up until 1 January 2016 was supportive of migration and immigration. After the Koln episode on the evening of 31 December 2015....things shifted over the course of about a hundred days. Most Germans (doesn't matter what their party affiliation is) have some concerns and feel that the program was marginally run. Some folks are here who aren't enthusiastic about this opportunity, and making this transition into a problem-path.
In some ways, I think Spahn will be a lightning rod for the public to stake out their frustration with the past five years. But it isn't the public who votes him into the job of party chief....it's an internal vote to CDU party members only.
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