Union (CDU/CSU)

A German commentator argues that the centre-right CDU/CSU's slow drift toward right-wing positions has led it to a chancellor in whom fewer than 20 percent of Germans still believe. The remark, shared alongside a Die Zeit foreign-politics article, reflects a broader debate about the Union's political direction and the chancellor's deep unpopularity.

German CDU politician Jens Spahn is at the centre of fresh criticism, with commentator Hans Herbert von Lucke saying 'the whole Union is in great disorder' over his conduct. An n-tv report claims Spahn has seemingly claimed a free hand, or 'Narrenfreiheit', for himself within the party. The remarks add to debate over discipline inside the CDU/CSU alliance and Spahn's role in it.

A debate is unfolding in Germany over the Union's response to events in Heidenau, with critics arguing the CDU/CSU's stance says more about the party itself than about the AfD or the state of democracy. Commenters point to the party's long-standing mantra that Nazis must be defeated 'on substance' rather than banned, questioning whether that approach still holds.