The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is widely seen as having a strong chance of emerging as the largest party in the state and, after 35 years of Social Democratic (SPD) leadership, once again providing the Minister-President. To underline the significance of the campaign, the party moved its traditional “Political Ash Wednesday” gathering to Trier.
Addressing around 1,000 party members, Merz delivered a firm endorsement of closer European cooperation. Against the backdrop of what he described as a world in upheaval, he argued that the European Union must return to its founding principles:
“We can do it, and we will do it, if we remind ourselves of what once made this Europe so strong and so successful. If we recall what the founding fathers of this European Union intended. They did not primarily want a community for coal and steel; they did not primarily want an economic community. They wanted to ensure that cooperation between the states of Europe would mean that we, as democracies, would never again wage war against one another. That is what the founding fathers of this European Union wanted.“
The Chancellor also addressed Germany’s border controls, which were extended on Tuesday until the autumn. He described the measures as “not pleasant” but necessary in order to curb illegal immigration. Germany, he said, must draw a clear distinction at its borders between genuine refugees and economic migrants seeking to benefit from the German social security system.
