Friedrich Merz โsecured aโ hard-won majority within the CDU, but the internal dissentโค revealed by a recent vote-andโค highlighted by AfDโค MP Ulrike Schielke-Ziesing‘s pointed question about a “pain threshold”-suggests a meaningful cost to โhisโ leadership. Many within the CDU and CSU haveโค demonstrably expressed dissatisfaction, potentially undermining his ability to effectively govern and unite the party.The internal fracturing stems from ongoing debates over pensionโ policy โand broader ideological divides within the conservative bloc. While Merz prevailed in Friday’s โคvote, the visible opposition signals โคa weakened mandate and a party grappling with internal conflict. Thisโ division could hamper the CDU’s ability toโ present a unified front โagainst political rivals and pursue its legislative agenda, notably as 18 partyโฃ members-including โขthe grandsonโฃ of Helmut Kohl and aโ former employee of Jens Spahn-are publicly โreconsidering โtheir positions.
AfD MP Ulrike Schielke-Ziesingโฃ provoked discussion by asking, “There has to be a pain threshold somewhere?”โ The question underscores the โgrowing discontent withinโข the CDU/CSU,โ where many members haveโข already reached their โlimit. This โinternal strife contributed to Merz’s โคcomplex victory, where gaining a majority cameโ at โthe expense of revealing deep-seated divisions.
