Germany’s Christian Democrats are unsure whom to hug
The centre-right is wary of teaming up with the far right
This should be a happy time for German conservatives. True, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the venerable right-of-centre party, has been out of power since Angela Merkel ended her 16-year reign as chancellor in 2021. But in just two years the ruling coalition, led by the left-of-centre Social Democrats (SPD), has withered in opinion polls (see chart). The three parties in government can now jointly muster barely 35%. The CDU and its Bavarian sister party by themselves command around 30%, a respectable rise from the 24% that they actually scored in the 2021 vote.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Which way to turn?”
From the November 11th 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Europe
Russian trainee pilots appear to be hunting Ukrainian civilians
Residents of Kherson are dodging murderous drones
Can the good ship Europe weather the Trumpnado?
Tossed by political storms, the continent must dodge a new threat
Spain’s proposed house tax on foreigners will not fix its shortage
Pedro Sánchez will need the opposition’s help to increase supply
A French-sponsored Ukrainian army brigade has been badly botched
The scandal reveals serious weaknesses in Ukraine’s military command
A TV dramatisation of Mussolini’s life inflames Italy
With Giorgia Meloni in power, the fascist past is more relevant than ever
France’s new prime minister is trying to court the left
François Bayrou gambles with Emmanuel Macron’s economic legacy