Merkel's CDU pens new ethics rules after mask scandal
Jon Shelton
March 15, 2021
DW has obtained an internal CDU document issued in the wake of several corruption-related retirements. The paper urged parliamentarians to keep in mind that they are role models for society.
The paper calls on politicians found to have mixed business with politics unacceptably to immediately quit the partyImage: Colourbox/L. Dolgachov
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Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian sister-party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have been rocked by corruption scandals of late. The unwelcome news of CDU and CSU politicians profiting handsomely off of coronavirus masks and the party's disastrous performance in state elections in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate have set alarm bells ringing at the party's highest levels.
Now, the CDU has drafted a ethical rules for all members to follow. DW obtained a copy of the paper, "Strengthen Trust, Follow Rules, Sanction Infractions," before it was officially adapted by the party Monday afternoon.
Members should act as 'role models'
The code of conduct paper begins by reminding party members, especially elected officials, of their responsibilities as "role models in society."
The paper comes as three members of Merkel's political bloc were forced to step down after taking hundreds of thousands of euros in payments from mask-producing companies with business before the government. News of the scandal only worsened anger over the government's perceived poor performance in dealing with the coronavirus and vaccinating citizens.
Parliamentarians are reminded that they are representatives of the people and not in office for personal gain. The paper makes clear that anyone acting otherwise is breaking basic party rules and must immediately resign and leave the party if found guilty.
The paper bemoaned the fact that "not every elected official in the party views the ethics rules as self-evident." Any work beyond that exclusively tied to a person's political post must be declared, according to the paper, as well as any investments that may create conflicts of interest. Moreover, the CDU will now require all candidates to swear to uphold the ethics rules before running for office.
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No political donations
The paper also notes that politicians are prohibited from accepting financial contributions and must openly declare any relations they may have with foreign governments or businesses.
Addressing conflict of interest at the local level, the party says municipal politicians must recuse themselves from votes for projects that they may have ties to. Lastly, the paper also makes clear that party members must make a stark delineation between their work as representatives of the people and their activity within the party.
In closing, the paper noted that the CDU supports the work of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag while also suggesting that state parliamentary groups adopt the ethics measures.
More clarity before Germany's September parliamentary elections
In approving the new code of conduct, the CDU's federal board said it should not be considered the last word on the matter and that details would be coming soon, noting that binding rules would be distributed to CDU members at the local and state levels.
In Sunday's state elections, the CDU lost ground in Baden-Württemberg and then failed to usurp decades of SPD-led government in Rhineland-Palatinate. Just months prior, the party had been optimistic of a potential win there before the general mood soured on the party's handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the corruption scandals involving CSU and CDU politicians began making headlines.
Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, CDU party leader since January and a possible chancellor candidate, called Sunday's results "disappointing." Laschet went on to say: "The coronavirus crisis is affecting everyone in our country, and that is why there have been debates about management. We must improve here."
Bavarian State Premier and CSU Chairman Markus Söder, also a possible chancellor candidate, called Sunday's results "a heavy blow to the heart of the union."
Further ethics measures will be drafted by the board before this September's federal elections. At that point, the party, with the help of outside legal counsel, promises to have a system for reporting and sanctioning infractions in place as well.
Angela Merkel: 16 years as German chancellor
Angela Merkel has been German chancellor since 2005. Here are some major moments in her long tenure that led the country through a period of tremendous change.
'Kohl's girl' no longer
Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl and other political insiders once called her his "girl." Merkel stepped out of his shadow in 2001, when she led the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) in the opposition. But her real moment came in 2005.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/A. Altwein
Narrow victory
In the 2005 general election, the CDU, along with its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, eked out a win over the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), led by then-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. It was actually the CDU's worst election performance in its history and an inauspicious start for Merkel, but she hit the ground running.
Image: Stefan Sauer/dpa/picture alliance
A new chancellor
The CDU and SPD formed a "grand coalition" government and Merkel became the first woman, first former East German and the first scientist to become chancellor — as well as the youngest person ever to hold the position.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/F. Reiss
Host with the most
Merkel quickly showed prowess. At the G8 summit in 2007, she welcomed the leaders of the eight largest economies to Heiligendamm, on the Baltic Sea. She joked around with then-US President George W. Bush (left) and Russia's Vladimir Putin (right).
Image: Toshifumi Kitamura/AFP/Getty Images
Boys being boys
On the European political stage in the fall of 2008, Merkel had to share the spotlight with the big male egos of French President Nicolas Sarkozy (front) and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. The growing financial crisis quickly became the European Union's most pressing concern.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/G. Cerles
Help or hinder?
The public debt of some European Union member states kept growing, threatening the very existence of the euro as a currency. Merkel's offer to help came with austerity demands. That did not go down well, especially in Greece, where newspapers ran images comparing the moment to Nazi Germany's occupation in World War II.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O. Panagiotou
Reluctant campaigner
Merkel is not the best orator. Her speeches are often halting and she rarely goes into depth on policy. Yet her quiet pragmatism and sober modesty have won wide appeal. That has helped her run four governments.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gentsch
'Mutti'
At some point in her long tenure, Merkel went from chancellor of the country to mother of the nation. She was sometimes referred to by supporters and opponents alike as "Mutti," a rather old-fashioned word for "mom." It can be meant a little sarcastically, but it's often also said with affection, as in this Merkel supporter's poster, a play on words that translates as "fully Mutti-vated."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/U. Anspach
'We can do this'
Few of Merkel's statements have had such a lasting impact as the one above. The chancellor won widespread praise in 2015 for staying committed to the EU's open-border policy and allowing more than 1 million migrants and refugees, many escaping the Syrian war, to enter Germany and the bloc. A vocal minority, however, pushed back against open migration.
Image: Getty Images/S. Gallup
Time's 'Person of the Year'
Time magazine named Merkel its "Person of the Year" in 2015, and even "chancellor of the free world." She has shown her mettle in the face of multiple crises, whether financial, social or political.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Time Magazine
Model of discretion
Merkel is discreet. She remains silent on her personal thoughts about less agreeable leaders, and deals with them as a matter of state interest.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. Loeb
Down-to-earth
Merkel knows what a liter of milk costs, and years leading the country seem not to have gone to her head. Here in 2014, she visited a Berlin supermarket with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. It's not unusual to spot the chancellor doing the grocery shopping on her own in downtown Berlin.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/L.Schulze
Diamond of trust
Merkel is known for holding her hands together in a diamond shape. She has said it helps her stand up straight. And it has helped the CDU: The party used the diamond symbol on campaign posters for the 2013 general election. It became synonymous with trust and calm.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Simon
A private life
Merkel is a very private person. The public knows little more than the fact that her husband, Joachim Sauer, is also a scientist. The two have spent many Easters on the Italian island of Ischia. Due to the global travel slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 was the obvious exception.
Image: picture-alliance/ANSA/R. Olimpio
And then came COVID
The coronavirus pandemic has changed much more in Germany than Merkel's travel habits. The country — and other nations — turned to her for answers in the crisis. Her serious, fact-based style has boosted her popularity.
Image: Johanna Geron/Reuters
Auf Wiedersehen, Frau Dr. Merkel
Two years ago, Merkel made clear that she would not seek reelection in 2021. When she goes, she'll have served for 16 years — matching the record of her mentor Helmut Kohl, Germany's longest-serving chancellor.
