The German CDU party at a crossroads: will the party be able to say ‘no’ to ultra-right temptations like Trump’s MAGA?

Within the CDU, there is growing concern over the influence of American far-right circles that are close to Trumpist ideology. CORRECTIV investigation shows, which has ties to the oil business and right-wing US Republicans, including the Heritage Foundation and the Tholos Foundation, are stepping up support for German right-wing campaigns. They promote the ideas of MAGA: minimal government intervention, free market and rejection of climate policy.

Events of the type play a special role in this Berlin Campaign Conference, where German Christian Democrats and American lobbyists gather. Among the participants are consultant Armin Petschner-Multari, representatives of the Heritage Foundation and Grover Norquist. The Union Stiftung from Saarland, which is close to the CDU, is also actively involved.

At the same time, the influence of Hungarian right-wing conservative structures associated with Viktor Orbán is growing. The think-tank MCC Brussels and the German-Hungarian Institute spread authoritarian and Eurosceptic ideas, which are supported by individual CDU figures, including Werner Patzelt and Benze Bauer.

In the Christian Democratic Union of Germany is brewing deep ideological crisis. The party, which for decades was a bastion of stability and centrist politics, now finds itself at a crossroads between the preservation of traditional values ​​and the temptation of a radical right turn.​

Under the leadership of Friedrich Merz, the CDU seeks to return to classical conservative principles, in particular, economic liberalism, a tough migration policy, and strengthening defense capabilities. This reflects an attempt to distance itself from the centrist course the party took under Angela Merkel. However, despite these efforts, the party still has different opinions about the direction of development, which indicates the presence of an internal ideological conflict.​

The younger generation of politicians in the CDU, particularly those with ties to ultra-conservative American foundations, is playing an active role in promoting new ideological approaches. These figures, often inspired by the ideas of the MAGA movement, advocate radical changes in the party’s policies, including EU skepticism and a revision of foreign policy. Their influence is growing, which creates additional tension between traditional leadership and new initiatives.​

Friedrich Merz, who led The CDU in 2022 is trying to balance between preserving the party’s traditional values ​​and adapting to new political realities. He openly opposes cooperation with far-right forces, in particular Alternative for Germany, and supports European integration and aid to Ukraine. However, the growing influence of young radical politicians in the party calls into question Mertz’s ability to effectively curb these trends.​

In every major political party, a battle for its soul begins from time to time. But there are parties in which the struggle is not just an internal dispute, but a decisive test for the entire political system. CDU is one of those. She created post-war Germany, established European solidarity. It was the party of responsibility. And today, when new political currents are trying to change this identity, the question arises: is there anyone left in the CDU who is still capable of saying “No”?

Roderich Kiesewetter is not one of those politicians who are invited to bright talk shows or quoted in aggressive headlines. But he is one of those who speak things that tomorrow may become a lifeline for the European conscience. He openly supports the deployment of peacekeepers in post-war Ukraine. Not as a gesture, but as a strategic responsibility of Germany, Europe and the collective West.

He is the type of politician who is despised by those who already view Orbán’s policies with envy. But it is he who holds the line of defense — not in the east of Ukraine, but within his party.

Another example is Torsten Fry, who initiated voting in the Bundestag for the transfer of Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine. While some dream of “rethinking sanctions” and call NATO a “tired alliance,” Fry speaks the language of defense, not capitulation.

Increasingly, internal rifts in the CDU are not only along the lines of ideologies, but also along the lines of geography. Where there was once a confrontation between Western democracies and Eastern communism, today there is a conventional line between those who still believe in Europe — and those who doubt it.

In North Rhine-Westphalia or Baden-Württemberg, they support the pro-European course. In Saxony or Thuringia, there are more votes for “a new openness to alternatives”. It’s not just geography, it’s psychology. This is fatigue, fear, and the belief that authoritarianism provides “order”. It was in such conditions that in the 1930s, weary Germans chose force over freedom.

Today, the CDU has those who can be called the “democratic faction” – politicians, analysts, public intellectuals who do not allow the party to fall into the arms of the right-wing revolution. Their voices are heard quietly, not because they are weak, but because populism shouts louder.

They are allies of those students who still believe in European values. They are the voice of business that fears chaos. They are a reminder of Europe as a responsibility, not as a market.

But the question is whether they still have political weight. Because if these voices are silenced, there will be no one to save the party. And behind her — and the country.

What is happening in the CDU today is not only a crisis of party strategy. This is a symptom of a deeper disease: fatigue from freedom. And only those who understand its price are still able to keep this country on the European course.

The Christian Democratic Union is not just a party, it is an element of the architecture of European responsibility. But what will happen when the foundation begins to shake in this structure? The ideas of “America above all” are already sprouting on German soil. And this “Germany First” hides not only an internal transformation, but a potential geopolitical catastrophe.

The foreign policy support of Ukraine was a matter of principle for the CDU. But more and more often in internal party debates appear voices calling for a “realistic review” of sanctions against Russia or a “more balanced” policy towards Eastern Europe. Former CDU adviser Arian Agashai, who is close to Trumpist circles, publicly stated that NATO expansion was a “strategic mistake.” And if these ideas penetrate in the party’s new program, it will no longer be an internal dispute, but a rupture in the very logic of European security.

If the USA survived the era of Trump and MAGA as a blow to international obligations, then for Europe such a course may prove fatal. The ideas of German isolationism in the style of “Germany First” sound attractive in the rhetoric of the right – reducing defense spending, limiting participation in foreign missions, calls for “responsible autonomy”. But translated from the political language, this means: the rejection of the role of the guarantor of stability, the dismantling of transatlantic unity, and – as a result – refusal from Ukraine.

A change in the CDU’s foreign policy vector can trigger a chain reaction. Zokerma, NATO will doubt the reliability of Berlin as a partner, the sanctions policy against Russia will become a subject of bargaining, Ukraine will be left without part of critical aid. And, in the end, the Kremlin will have reason to believe that Europe is tired.

Operation Culture War: How the US Far Right is Changing Germany Through the Media

What we are seeing now in Germany is part of a big information operation. Not just the evolution of political discourse, but a purposeful project to change the values ​​of a large European state. It is carried out according to the same patterns by which Russia influenced the elections in the USA. Now it’s the other way around: the American far-right is in Germany.

It all started not in Berlin and not even in Frankfurt. This is a project from Washington called Tholos Foundation, Heritage Foundation, Leadership Institute. These structures are the financial donors of the right-wing conservative movement in the USA, finance political schools, conferences and think tanks in Germany. The goal is to launch a new elite, ready to revise the European idea.

It’s not just about politicians. This is a war for audiences. Right-wing media and platforms in the style of YouTube channels, blogs, Telegram groups are aimed at the young, disillusioned, politically apathetic. And instead of analytics, they offer ideology with simple messages like “Woke culture is destroying traditional Germany”, “Gender policy is an attack on the family”, “Globalism is the enslavement of nations”, “Climate policy is a conspiracy of billionaires against ordinary people.

The rhetoric is copied from Trump-era Fox News. You don’t have to look far for examples: the advisors of the Heritage Foundation and Grover Norquist, the main ideologist of US tax anarchism, have already spoken at the same Berlin Campaign Conference.

The thesis about “Germany First” is no longer a joke. CDU is increasingly common among young politicians appear rhetoric forged from MAGA: support for hardline isolationist policies, skepticism about sanctions against Russia, attacks on NATO as an “obsolete structure.” All this consequence systematic work of analytical centers, scholarship programs and ideological training of young politicians.

The German government has not yet launched any serious program to counter this information expansion. There is neither systematic verification of sources of funding for alternative media nor public exposure of political engineering techniques.

The media is partially capitulating: traditional mass media are losing credibility, while YouTube and Telegram channel right-wing populism and disdain for institutions.

The cultural war in Germany is no less dangerous than Russia’s hybrid war against Ukraine. Because if in the center of Europe will appear a political force with MAGA rhetoric, with informal allies like Fidesz and AfD — Ukraine will lose one of its key partners. And the EU will receive a destructive element controlled by external technologies.

The Christian Democratic Union is not just a party, it is an element of the architecture of European responsibility. But what will happen when the foundation begins to shake in this structure? The ideas of “America above all” are already sprouting on German soil. And this “Germany First” hides not only an internal transformation, but a potential geopolitical catastrophe.

The foreign policy support of Ukraine was a matter of principle for the CDU. But more and more often in internal party debates appear voices calling for a “realistic review” of sanctions against Russia or a “more balanced” policy towards Eastern Europe. Former CDU adviser Arian Agashai, who is close to Trumpist circles, publicly stated that NATO expansion was a “strategic mistake.” And if these ideas penetrate in the party’s new program, it will no longer be an internal dispute, but a rupture in the very logic of European security.

If the USA survived the era of Trump and MAGA as a blow to international obligations, then for Europe such a course may prove fatal. The ideas of German isolationism in the style of “Germany First” sound attractive in the rhetoric of the right – reducing defense spending, limiting participation in foreign missions, calls for “responsible autonomy”. But translated from the political language, this means: the rejection of the role of the guarantor of stability, the dismantling of transatlantic unity, and – as a result – refusal from Ukraine.

…And if the CDU really deviates from the European path – what then? Will NATO remain confident in Berlin when voices of doubt are heard from it? Will sanctions against the Kremlin survive when they become a bargaining chip of domestic politics? Will Ukraine wait for critical aid if “priorities” begin to be reconsidered in Germany? And most importantly, won’t Moscow begin to believe that Europe is really tired?

Tetyana Viktorova