In the CDU there is the idea of ​​changing the name because broad sections of the electorate, such as those of different faiths and atheists, could feel excluded from the "C".

You recently sat in the Bundestag for the CDU and are a devout Muslim.

When you first started getting involved in politics, did the name of the party put you off at first?

Timo Steppat

Editor in Politics.

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No not at all.

I have never found the "C" to be a barrier to non-Christians.

Because of the universal message it carries, the “C” was and is ideologically not exclusive, but inclusive.

And that was one of the reasons why I, as a believer, decided to join the CDU.

The secularization of society is increasing, more people are turning away from churches and beliefs.

Is the emphasis on Christianity still up-to-date?

The "C" does not stand for Christian Club, in the sense of: Only Christians are welcome here.

Rather, the current debate shows that the majority of CDU members do not want a new party name, but long for a party that does justice to the name again.

And that's the important thing.

We need - also as far as the Christian core is concerned - a stronger profile in terms of content and must achieve better differentiation.

The debate about how the CDU can win over more voters is particularly about young people, most of whom in big cities have a history of migration.

What's the signal to them?

That we not only derive belief from the "C", but values ​​for our politics.

Many young people are committed to sustainability and climate protection.

This preservation of creation is the brand essence of the CDU, which is extremely contemporary.

This also includes emphasizing our party history, which is expressed in the name, more strongly.

Konrad Adenauer has taken on responsibility in a country whose faith in the good in people has been shaken.

People's worldviews were shaped by violence and fear.

This void has been filled with values ​​such as human dignity and charity, which Christianity stands for.

We have to emphasize that the CDU has co-governed for 50 of the 70 years of German history and stands for a social market economy, European integration and ties to the West.

We also heard that from Armin Laschet during the election campaign.

What does that mean today?

For me, the “C” also stands for a promise of advancement.

I also embody that in my person.

I am Muslim and come from an immigrant family, my father was a miner.

But we also have many other examples in the party that stand for advancement.

Think of Karl-Josef Laumann, who trained as a locksmith and is now Minister of Labor and Health in North Rhine-Westphalia.

We just have to cultivate this narrative much more.

It doesn't matter what you believe in, and it doesn't matter where you're from, it matters where you want to go.

And we as the CDU are committed to ensuring that you succeed and paving the way for you to do so.

That's what makes a modern people's party.

Now comes Friedrich Merz, the new party chairman, but from the economic wing.

So far, it doesn't necessarily represent what you're trying to emphasize.

This is what the "U" stands for, a union that unites many currents.

Friedrich Merz is a man of business, but he has a general secretary at his side in Mario Czaja, who has made a name for himself as a social politician.