Organization:Values Union

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Short description: Political organisation in Germany
Values Union
Werte Union e.V.
WerteUnion-Logo v2 RGB 1000x815 - Freiheit statt Sozialismus - mit Claim.png
Logo, featuring the CDU's main election slogan from 1976, "Freiheit statt Sozialismus" ("Freedom instead of Socialism"), borrowing from the term Free World used during the Cold War to refer to NATO/the West
Established1 January 2017; 7 years ago (2017-01-01)
Founded atStuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
TypePolitical association
Legal statusEingetragener Verein (e. V.)
Focus
  • Conservative Politics
  • Alt Right
  • Innerparty lobbying for conservative values
HeadquartersMunich, Bavaria, Germany
Official language
German
Chairman
Hans-Georg Maaßen
Vice-Chairwoman
Simone Braun
Vice-Chairman
Peter Matschuk
Vice-Chairman
Hans-Otto Pistner
Affiliations4.000
Websitewww.werteunion.de (in German)

The Values Union (German: WerteUnion) is a German registered association[1] that considers itself to be a "conservative grassroots movement"[2] within the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) and the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU).[3] On January 20, 2024, while meeting in Erfurt the group had decided to form a new "conservative-liberal" party.[4] According to its own information, in 2022 the Values Union had around 4,000 members; with about 3,000 also being the members of the CDU.[5]

History

The Values Union was founded in 2017 and mostly included the CDU members seeking to reestablish their party's conservative roots.[6] The formation was motivated by the same shift to the right in the CDU that eventually forced Merkel out of the leadership, due to her flirting with Keynesianism and social democracy to the detriment of "tough market radicalism of the CDU/CSU" and associated electorate losses to the right-wing, but socially acceptable, "professors' party" (Alternative for Germany).[7]

The CDU's executive committee did not recognize the Values Union as a party subdivision. The critics accused the Values Union to be close to Alternative for Germany (AfD).[6] Quite small at the time group argued against Angela Merkel's approaches to Euro-Rettungsschirm (de) and the 2015 European migrant crisis. One of the founders, Hans-Georg Maaßen, refused to rule out potential coalitions with AfD in the medium-term. The 2019 resolution of the presidium and executive committee of the CDU related to the murder of Walter Lübcke indirectly accused Maaßen and the Values Union of complicity: "Anyone who supports the AfD must know that they are poisoning the social climate and brutalizing the political discourse". At the time statements by the CDU leadership could have been interpreted as supporting expulsion of Maaßen from the party.[8]

The Values Union has been described as Germany's Tea Party.[9] The Values Union has no official party affiliation and its role within the CDU/CSU is highly controversial.[2][3] It has around 4,000 official members.[3] In the 2018 leadership election the Values Union supported Friedrich Merz.[10]

The federal leadership of the CDU initiated expulsion of Maaßen in February of 2023.[11]

The deputy federal chairwoman and North Rhine-Westphalia state leader of the Values Union, Simone Baum, took part in a secret networking meeting between the AfD and other right-wing extremists.[12] At the meeting, the right-wing extremist participants discussed how an expulsion or “remigration” of migrants and people who think differently politically in Germany would be possible.[13] The CDU initiated party expulsion proceedings against Baum and the city of Cologne terminated her employment with immediate effect, likewise due to her participation at the secret meeting.[14]

Forming a new party

In the beginning of 2024 Maaßen announced a vote among the association members in order to turn the Values Union into a political party that will take an anti-immigration course.[15] At a general meeting of the Values Union on January 20, 2024 in Erfurt its members decided to form a new party with a plan to participate in the upcoming September 2024 polls in Thuringia, Saxony, and Brandenburg.[4]

Maaßen had said earlier that the new party will cooperate with all parties that support its program and “are ready for a change in policy in Germany.” [16]

Structure

Federal presidency:

  • Alexander Mitsch (March 2017 – May 2021)[17]
  • Max Otte (May 2021 – January 2022)[18]
  • Hans-Georg Maaßen (since January 2023), former President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution[19]

Former members:

  • Alexander Mitsch,[20] co-founder and first federal president of Values Union[21]
  • Werner Josef Patzelt, political scientist and university professor[19]

References

  1. ↑ Unzufriedene CDU-Konservative: Was die Werteunion ist und was sie will, ZDF
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 tagesschau.de. "Kritik an Werteunion: CDU-Politiker fordern Auflösung" (in de). https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/cdu-werteunion-103.html. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Werteunion - Max Otte, die CDU und die AfD" (in de). https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/otte-cdu-werteunion-afd-100.html. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Germany: Right-wing group to form a new conservative party". Deutsche Welle. https://www.dw.com/en/germany-right-wing-group-to-form-a-new-conservative-party/a-68043732. 
  5. ↑ deutschlandfunk.de. "Werteunion - Max Otte, die CDU und die AfD" (in de). https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/otte-cdu-werteunion-afd-100.html. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Grotz & Schroeder 2023, p. 192.
  7. ↑ Schweppenhäuser, Gerhard (2024). "Die Wende: eine Abwendung. Über ‚feindliche Gefühle gegen die Autoritäten‘ in Deutschland" (in de). Angst und Aufklärung. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 23–40. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-67910-4_3. ISBN 978-3-662-67909-8. 
  8. ↑ Oppelland 2020, pp. 60-61.
  9. ↑ Schaer, Cathrin (2021-06-13). "Germany's Tea Party seeks to move country to the right" (in en-GB). https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news-europe-news-the-german-tea-party-movement-8025042/. 
  10. ↑ Chef der Werteunion bevorzugt Merz als neuen CDU-Chef
  11. ↑ tagesschau.de. "CDU-Vorstand beschließt Ausschlussverfahren gegen Maaßen" (in de). https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/cdu-vorstand-beschliesst-ausschlussverfahren-gegen-maassen-101.html. 
  12. ↑ Daniel, Isabelle; dpa (2024-01-12). "Geheimtreffen in Potsdam: CDU leitet Parteiausschlussverfahren gegen ein Mitglied ein" (in de-DE). Die Zeit. ISSN 0044-2070. https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2024-01/cdu-nrw-parteiausschlussverfahren-geheimtreffen-potsdam-afd. 
  13. ↑ "Correctiv-Recherche: Zwei Oberbergerinnen bei Geheimtreffen zur Vertreibung von Migranten" (in de). 2024-01-13. https://www.ksta.de/region/oberberg/engelskirchen/correctiv-zwei-oberbergerinnen-bei-geheimtreffen-in-potsdam-716842. 
  14. ↑ "Stadt Köln entlässt CDU-Politikerin nach Geheimtreffen radikaler Rechter" (in de). RND. 2024-01-31. https://www.rnd.de/politik/koeln-simone-baum-cdu-nach-geheimtreffen-radikaler-rechter-entlassen-PSXJ5OIL5FM7HIDFMJDDW3HJJM.html. 
  15. ↑ Geuther, Gudula (5 January 2024). "Hans-Georg Maaßen will Werteunion zur Partei machen" (in de). Deutschlandfunk. https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/maassen-werteunion-soll-ueber-partegruendung-entscheiden-dlf-a591182e-100.html. 
  16. ↑ "Maaßen will mit Werteunion eigene Partei gründen" (in de). https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/innenpolitik/maassen-werteunion-parteigruendung-100.html. 
  17. ↑ WELT (2019-10-13). "Alexander Mitsch: Vorsitzender der Werteunion verliert CDU-Posten" (in de). DIE WELT. https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article201851674/Alexander-Mitsch-Vorsitzender-der-Werteunion-verliert-CDU-Posten.html. 
  18. ↑ "Werteunion - Max Otte, die CDU und die AfD" (in de). https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/otte-cdu-werteunion-afd-100.html. 
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Max Otte als AfD-Kandidat – Zerbröselt die Werteunion?" (in de-DE). https://www.rnd.de/politik/max-otte-als-afd-kandidat-zerbroeselt-die-werteunion-3RGVTN5XKJCEBO34HIYNUHR7QY.html. 
  20. ↑ "Ex-Vorsitzender Alexander Mitsch verlässt die Werte-Union" (in de-DE). Der Tagesspiegel Online. 2021-07-05. ISSN 1865-2263. https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/aufloesungserscheinungen-wegen-bundeschef-otte-ex-vorsitzender-alexander-mitsch-verlaesst-die-werte-union/27391298.html. 
  21. ↑ "Ex-Werteunion-Chef Mitsch: Werteunion sollte sich auflösen" (in de-DE). https://www.rnd.de/politik/alexander-mitsch-ex-chef-der-werteunion-fuer-aufloesung-MECMYCJDKFGKFGXCKLISZ5H6OU.html. 

Sources

External links

  • (in German)



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