In his speech before the party conference in Hanover, the chairman of the CDU packed good and bad news.
The bad: The federal election was not an industrial accident for the CDU and CSU that could be quickly remedied.
Merz also does not let the opposition appear as unworthy "crap", as it was once called by the SPD.
This leads to good news for the party: the CDU will not do this government the favor of understanding the cohesion that the chancellor calls for in times of crisis as a muzzle for a contrite and self-absorbed Union.
Therein lies a real danger for this party congress.
Do the delegates really want to bend over the quota for women and compulsory service while the country has completely different concerns?
End of Habeck fever
Merz didn't even bother to say either, but attacked the coalition primarily in the field in which he can feel most secure, economic policy.
The fact that he not only put the chancellor in the laces, but also the vice-chancellor, will be seen by Robert Habeck as a return to normality – in recent weeks one almost had the impression that a black-green CDU was also infected with Habeck fever been recorded.
But it was also a knighthood.
Whoever Merz picks out can claim to be on the way to where the CDU chairman himself would like to go.