Former CSU boss slams Merkel's leadership
Erwin Huber, former chairman of Bavaria's conservative Christian Social Union, has launched an unusually sharp attack on Chancellor Angela Merkel for her weak leadership.
The coalition of Merkel’s conservatives, the Christian Democratic Union, their Bavarian sister party the CSU and the pro-business Free Democratic Party was in a “worrying” situation, Huber, the CSU chairman from 2007 to 2008, told news agency DAPD.
Merkel had to “much more strongly take the reins” and set a strong course for the coalition, he said. He also blasted her announcement that she would run for re-election in 2013.
The chancellor is currently in Africa visiting Kenya, Nigeria and Angola.
Huber, who is now head of the economic committee of the Bavarian state parliament, said there was “huge irritation” among the conservatives’ core constituency. There was a danger that “many of them won’t go to vote, because they doubt the meaningfulness of the centre-right coalition.”
The centre-right government “scored too many own goals” in the first half of its term and was known first and foremost for “bickering and volatility.”
He also blasted Merkel’s announcement that she would run again in the next federal election in 2013.
“That is a decision that you take in 2013 – not in summer 2011,” he said. “The chaos on major issues is already so great that shouldn’t also add a personal debate.”
The German Chambers of Industry and Commerce meanwhile called on Merkel to use her three-day Africa tour to shore up Germany’s energy and resources supplies, notably the strategically sensitive raw earth materials needed to make high-tech goods such as TVs and mobile phones.
The Local/djw
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The coalition of Merkel’s conservatives, the Christian Democratic Union, their Bavarian sister party the CSU and the pro-business Free Democratic Party was in a “worrying” situation, Huber, the CSU chairman from 2007 to 2008, told news agency DAPD.
Merkel had to “much more strongly take the reins” and set a strong course for the coalition, he said. He also blasted her announcement that she would run for re-election in 2013.
The chancellor is currently in Africa visiting Kenya, Nigeria and Angola.
Huber, who is now head of the economic committee of the Bavarian state parliament, said there was “huge irritation” among the conservatives’ core constituency. There was a danger that “many of them won’t go to vote, because they doubt the meaningfulness of the centre-right coalition.”
The centre-right government “scored too many own goals” in the first half of its term and was known first and foremost for “bickering and volatility.”
He also blasted Merkel’s announcement that she would run again in the next federal election in 2013.
“That is a decision that you take in 2013 – not in summer 2011,” he said. “The chaos on major issues is already so great that shouldn’t also add a personal debate.”
The German Chambers of Industry and Commerce meanwhile called on Merkel to use her three-day Africa tour to shore up Germany’s energy and resources supplies, notably the strategically sensitive raw earth materials needed to make high-tech goods such as TVs and mobile phones.
The Local/djw
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