CDU chairman wants to keep Christian reference in party name

The new chairman of the German party CDU, Friedrich Merz, wants to keep the C (for Christian) in the name of his political party.

Earlier, research pointed out that a third of the Germans wanted to delete the Christian reference from the name. Andreas Rödder, a history professor from Mainz, started the debate. Rödder, also a CDU member, advised the party to remove the C in an “increasingly de-Christianised society”. According to him, the letter could be a barrier for non-Christians.

This week, Merz announced that he wants to stick to the party name as it is, Domradio writes. “The C gives us orientation, support and humility”, the chairman said.

The religious policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group, Thomas Rachel, also pleaded for keeping the C in the name of the party. In a guest article in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he argued that Christianity has a universal message and that at a time when values are declining, Christian faith is attractive to everyone.

“Turning away from the C destroys core identity”

In Rachel’s opinion, the “C also reminds us of the finitude and flaws in politics.” Rachel calls on his colleagues to “make the C shine again through credible attitude and politics. Therein lies the solution for the credible renewal of the party. Turning away from the C would destroy the core identity of the party.”

The prime minister of Saarland, Tobias Hans, supports Merz's and Rachel's position. “The C shows that we are a party, based on our Christian values. We see human dignity as inviolable and respect it. We derive humility towards the diversity of people from the Christian image of man. We, as Christian Democrats, say: Everyone should do what they want to become happy. That is a significant difference to other parties.”

Hans, who belongs to the Catholic Church, argues that the C does not represent a barrier or exclude people. “Many young members of the CDU are not part of a Christian denomination. Our image of man is not exclusive but integrative.”