Dennis Radtke will lead the CDU’s employee wing in the future, succeeding long-standing chairman Karl-Josef Laumann. The 45-year-old Radtke was elected as the new chairman at the federal conference of the Christian Democratic Employees’ Association (CDA) in Weimar with 83.1 percent of the valid votes.
Laumann did not stand for re-election after 19 years at the top. He has now become honorary chairman of the CDA. However, the 67-year-old remains an important voice for employee interests in his party as CDU vice-chairman and Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Radtke has been a member of the CDA Federal Executive Board since 2007, and was most recently Deputy Federal Chairman. He is a member of the IG BCE trade union and a CDU MEP with a focus on industry, employment and social affairs.
“Huge” shoes to fill – No clear statement on the K question
After his election, Radtke declared that the CDU must go into the federal election campaign with “an offer for the millions of employees”. Together with Laumann as CDU vice-chairman, he wants to ensure “that social issues are once again more prominent in the CDU”. The traffic light government has nothing to offer employees. “The CDU must be recognizable as an advocate for those who work hard every day and still have a hard time,” warned the new CDA chairman.
In his application speech, Radtke said that Laumann’s shoes were “huge”. He approached the new office with humility, joy and trust in God.
Radtke also commented on the question of the candidate for chancellor. The Union has the luxury of being able to choose between three “great people” – CDU leader Friedrich Merz, CSU leader Markus Söder and NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst. Whoever it turns out to be – “this man must and should replace Olaf Scholz,” said Radtke.
The CDA sees itself as the social conscience of the CDU. One of its former federal chairmen was the former Minister of Labor Norbert Blüm. Laumann, a trained machine fitter, has been at the head of the CDU association since 2005.
Laumann wants to continue to advocate for employee interests
After Radtke’s election, he declared that he would not retire, but would continue to work as CDU vice-chairman and minister in North Rhine-Westphalia to improve the situation of workers in Germany.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz also said as a guest speaker in Weimar that Laumann’s departure as CDA leader would only represent a small turning point. Merz pointed out that Laumann had been elected to the party’s top leadership with the best election result of all his deputies. The CDU needs Laumann and continues to count on him.
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