Schneider faults Merz's leadership over Germany's presidential candidate search
Her WELT commentary links the personnel dispute to broader criticism of the CDU, from secret ballots to a cultural award.
GermanyStory of Why this story? One of WELT Nachrichtensender's most watched videos since yesterday, with 156,189 views.
WELT Nachrichtensender: The German news channel WELT, formerly N24, owned by the media group Axel Springer. 2.5M subscribers and 5.8B views.
CDU AM ABGRUND: "Woche der Irrsinnigkeit" - Schneider rechnet mit Merz und seiner Partei ab!
Things we can learn from the video
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- 0:26Schneider argues that reported demands for lawmakers' sworn voting declarations undermine secret ballots and the free mandate.
- 1:22She criticizes Merz's handling of the presidential candidate search and connects it to earlier personnel decisions.
- 2:58She defends Audi's U.S. investment and combustion-engine plans as a response to customer demand.
- 4:03Wüst's praise for Grönemeyer prompts her argument that the CDU courts people unlikely to support it.
Friedrich Merz insists on his right to propose a presidential candidate, but Anna Schneider argues that he is not providing the leadership needed to settle the choice.
In a morning opinion segment on Germany's WELT Nachrichtensender, the journalist criticizes the chancellor's handling of the search for Germany's next federal president, connecting it to earlier personnel reshuffles. Merz leads the Christian Democratic Union, the country's main center-right party. The presidency is separate from his role as head of government.
The segment begins with a different question about party authority: reports that CDU lawmakers in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt were asked to submit sworn declarations that they had not voted for candidates from the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. Schneider argues that demanding such assurances undermines both ballot secrecy and the free mandate, the principle that elected lawmakers exercise their own judgment rather than obey binding instructions.
She then defends Audi against Environment Minister Carsten Schneider's criticism of its U.S. investment plans and combustion-engine strategy. Her argument is that the automaker is responding to its customers; she turns the criticism back toward Germany's economic prospects.
The final discussion concerns singer and actor Herbert Grönemeyer's North Rhine-Westphalia arts award. Schneider questions CDU state premier Hendrik Wüst's praise for him, arguing that the party too often seeks approval from people unlikely to vote for it. It is the concluding example in her criticism of the CDU's political positioning, rather than a report establishing that the party is on the brink of collapse.
Germany’s chancellor since May 2025 and leader of the Christian Democratic Union since January 2022.
More on Wikipedia ›Germany’s main center-right party, with Christian democratic and conservative roots. Friedrich Merz has led it since 2022.
More on Wikipedia ›A Social Democratic Party politician serving as Germany’s environment minister in Friedrich Merz’s government since 2025.
More on Wikipedia ›A German singer, musician, composer, producer and actor who is popular in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
More on Wikipedia ›Premier of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2021 and a member of the Christian Democratic Union. He also leads the party in the state.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
Where next?
- Channel
- WELT Nachrichtensender
- Subscribers
- 2,490,000
- Channel views, pace per day
- 3,738,978 (on a normal day: 1,805,422)
- Video published
- October 29, 2026
- Video views so far
- 156,189 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 173,894
The numbers
The commentary drew about 156,000 views since yesterday, placing it among Germany's most watched new news videos.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which German state does Hendrik Wüst lead?
Wüst is the minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia, whose arts award features in the discussion.