The statement notes that a revaluation of the party's core values and policies, which is linked to the corona crisis, first needed to be discussed internally before being brought to the public sphere.
Meanwhile, Frank Engel reacted to the situation in a Facebook post: "The world has gone mad. I read calls for my resignation in Wort newspaper, simply because I am adhering to my catholic social teachings."
Engel argued in favour of a wealth tax in an RTL interview, as well as a taxation of direct inheritances, which did not sit well with his party colleagues for two reasons. First, it does not comply with the 2018 CSV election manifesto, and second, Engel failed to first discuss the issue internally.
The statement by the party's youth affiliation thus calls for a return to order, stating that CSV had exposed itself publicly over the past couple of days. In no way is the president's capacity to open a public dialogue on a certain issue questioned, but rather his decision to do so without internal consultation. The statement thus underlines that this issue represents a crucial position for the party, which has been jeopardised by Engel's actions.
The public opposition in policy between party and party president is considered unacceptable, as it is damaging CSV's credibility and counterproductive to future elections. The youth affiliation thus demands that internal communication channels must be improved, so that all of CSV's fractions can move into the same direction as a unit.
When asked to comment, Alex Donnersbach, president of the youth fraction explained that he was unwilling to discuss party internal issues in public, which was the central argument of his statement.
Green minister Carole Dieschbourg expresses support for CSV president Engel
Frank Engel proposes taxing the wealthy, party distances itself
