Ash Wednesday in Bavaria: exchange of blows with beer and salt on the pretzels

Söder’s taunts were rough as usual. But the CSU boss had to hold back more than usual this year Image of Berlin as an enemyin recent years it was the hated traffic light government, was missing this time for self-determined Bavaria; the sister party CDU represents the Chancellor. And anyway Friedrich Merz and Söder have not always been peaceful in the past, the CSU is currently represented by three ministers in the federal government.

Against coalition partners

But it wouldn’t be Söder if he omitted the swipe: for Vice Chancellor and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil There were words of thanks for the SPD’s support of the citizens’ benefit reform. “I’m always more lenient with him anyway, he’s a Bayern fan. If I came from Hanover, that would be understandable too!” Söder commented on the recent debate about the icy, CDU-governed federal capital: In Bavaria there is more salt on the pretzels than road salt in Berlin. The NGOs there sued “so that people would break their own bones.” A tip against Berlin’s mayor Kai Wegnerwho had been playing tennis during the power outage, bit back.

Since 1953, under CSU boss Franz Josef StraussPolitical Ash Wednesday is a must for the party. 4,000 people were guests in Passau – it was one of Söder’s last major appearances before Bayern March 8th holds municipal and district elections. Although the CSU leads undefeated in nationwide surveys, it is below the 40 percent mark; The AfD follows behind with up to 19 percent – more than in the last state election in 2023 (14.6 percent). Söder also used the speech to raise his profile: There will be no higher taxes and duties, for example on fuel. Instead, the demand for “performance, performance, performance” and one hour more work per week – “12 minutes of extra work per day is manageable for the work-life balance”.

In terms of content, Söder also spoke out in favor of stricter regulations on military service. “We need more soldiers to protect NATO and the national border. And that’s why we need compulsory service and military service, and a real one at that,” said Söder. Anyone who loves Germany is also in favor of the Bundeswehr.

The Greens confirmed this CSU-Boss at her own event self-interest. “Markus Söder continues to only work for Markus Söder and unfortunately full-time,” said the parliamentary group leader of the Greens in Bavaria, Katharina Schulzein Landshut. Sometimes you have the feeling that there are always exactly two points on the agenda of the cabinet in the state parliament: “Firstly: Is it of any use to the Maggus? And secondly: What is there to eat afterwards?”

Greens criticize Sissi

Bundestag parliamentary group leader Katharina Dröge for her part criticized Chancellor Merz’s image of women: “Unfortunately we have a Chancellor whose image of women has stopped somewhere between “Sissi” and “Dinner for One” or shortly after the introduction of the dishwasher.” And she added: “When he makes such jokes about women, he always reminds me a bit of the Windows 95 of German politics – an operating system for which there is no longer an update and which it is better not to use anymore for security reasons.”

Free Voters boss Hubert Aiwanger, Deputy Prime Minister of Bavaria and coalition partner of the CSU, used Ash Wednesday to portray his party as a freedom party. “I want to be able to decide for myself whether I heat with wood, gas or a heat pump. I want to be able to decide for myself how I move and stay in this country. We don’t need more and more paternalism,” he said in Deggendorf. “We don’t stand for the nanny state that tells us in detail what we have to do.”

His criticism was aimed primarily at those responsible in Berlin and Brussels. Side blows against them CSU he largely saved himself.

AfD: Accusations are a media campaign

Markus Frohnmaier, the AfD’s top candidate in the state elections, offered more defense than attack Baden-Württemberg. Alluding to the allegations of nepotism in his party, he said it was a media campaign against the AfD. There is only one real criterion, namely whether someone has the individual suitability or not. “And that’s what it does in many, many of these cases.”

The FDP politician Wolfgang Kubicki was primarily directed against the AfD and appealed to its electorate: “There is no shame in turning blue. But staying blue is a tragedy and evidence of human incompetence.”

The Munich Association for Freedom of Thought criticized the events. Loud brass music and “lean jokes” are delivered, even though Ash Wednesday is a so-called quiet day on which clear restrictions apply to public entertainment events.