It is Friedrich Merz of all people who is allowed to give the first speech at the Junge Union's “Germany Day”.

Does this follow a special dramaturgy?

The chairman of the Junge Union, Tilman Kuban, denies this. "That has to do with personal, private reasons," he says shortly before the big meeting of the joint youth organization of the CDU and CSU.

Tobias Schrörs

Political Editor.

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The meeting is suitable to be a mixture of accounting after the federal election and viewing the potential candidates for the CDU chairmanship, although no one has officially declared their candidacy. After Merz, there will also be others on the stage in the Halle Münsterland who are being traded as candidates: Health Minister Jens Spahn, the head of the SME Association Carsten Linnemann and the parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus. Someone who belongs in this series is not on the program: the foreign policy specialist Norbert Röttgen.

When Kuban greeted Merz in Münster, he recalled that the Junge Union had spoken out in favor of Merz as a candidate for the CDU chairmanship after a member survey.

But unlike on the “Germany Day” two years ago, Merz cannot bring the hall to a boil, on the contrary.

The young people in the Union don't feel like partying either.

"We had to accept a historic election defeat," says Merz right at the beginning of his speech.

"With this election result, the Union has become a serious political restructuring case at risk of insolvency." The Union must deal with content, not personnel decisions are now in the foreground.

Then it's about the staff

With a serious expression, Merz speaks of the Christian image of man.

“The year 2021 was not a reference year for Christian dealings with one another in the Union,” he says.

Then he talks about the Christian image of man in the working world of the 21st century, of a person capable of freedom and personal responsibility.

With the next association he gives his speech about Christianity a different direction: “What does that mean for the future of our - as we say - Christian-occidental culture?” Asks Merz.

He says that muezzin calls will soon be heard in Cologne.

“We must be able to ask the question, who is he calling to prayer - is it just the men or also the women?

And what is being prayed there? ”Merz warns that there should be no unlawful spaces.

Speaking of climate change, he recalled that social justice was an equally important issue, and then addressed retirement provision.

"It is not the pension of the over 60-year-olds that is insecure, but the old-age provision of young people is not secure."

After the content, it's about the staff.

“Of course, it depends on who will lead the Union in the future,” he says.

But it's not about a person, but a team.

Merz recommends with this sentence: "Young brooms sweep well, but the old brush combs the corners." It depends on a good togetherness.

The applause is moderate, the delegates clap rhythmically as long as the music is playing.

Party offspring goes tough with Union

The CDU is changing.

It has been clear since Monday that the party executive, which was only elected in January of this year for a period of two years, should be completely redesignated halfway through the time and that the members should have a say in it.

How exactly is still open.

At a conference on October 30th, the district chairpersons will discuss whether there should be a member survey.

The Junge Union also wants to campaign for this.