Seehofer takes aim at Merz: a 'massive loss of credibility'
Former CSU leader Horst Seehofer accuses the chancellor of breaking campaign promises. The criticism comes on the day the CDU leadership meets for a crisis retreat.
Archive image · Photo: H-stt / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Former CSU leader and Bavarian premier Horst Seehofer has sharply criticised Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). "Friedrich Merz has suffered a massive loss of credibility by breaking election promises," the 77-year-old told Bild am Sonntag, according to the dts news agency. He cited the CDU/CSU emergency programme, which had promised first and foremost a cut in electricity tax for everyone. "Nothing has happened," Seehofer said.
"Trust in authentic action is the most important factor in politics. Merz does not have it," Seehofer added. He called for more action and fewer expert commissions. He accused the Union of not fighting the financial burden on citizens firmly enough, citing "bracket creep", which he said wipes out even small pay rises.
The former federal minister was particularly critical of remarks from within the CDU that Germans work too little, asking what that meant for a nurse already working night and weekend shifts. The interview appears on the day the CDU presidium begins a two-day retreat to find a way out of its crisis after the election defeats.