Withdrawal from Spahn: The CDU has no room for sun kings

Jens Spahn is withdrawing from the Bundestag budget committee. This news shows two things: Spahn has learned nothing since resigning as parliamentary group leader. And there is still life in the Union.

Jens Spahn was photographed at Sardinia airport last week - during the week of the Bundestag session. Bild published the photo and then deleted it - ostensibly because it was taken in a private setting. For a tabloid whose business model is a disregard for privacy, this is a good joke.

And it was too late. Not only was the public outraged by the short vacation during the week of the meeting, but many in the Union parliamentary group also demanded consequences. Spahn is now giving in to this pressure. He has announced that he will concentrate on working in the constituency. Hopefully he is aware that this is not called Sardinia, but Steinfurt I – Borken I.

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Spahn justifies his withdrawal by saying that “normal work” is hardly possible for him and makes himself a victim: In his eyes, the problem is not his bashing, but rather an alleged “politicization” – whatever that is supposed to be for a politician.

Jens Spahn also owes his career to his close relationship with Springer-Verlag. When arguing about his surrogacy, he initially hoped that he could win hearts with photos of strollers in the picture. Now his decline is also linked to the newspaper. Without the hastily deleted photo from the airport, things wouldn't have gotten this far. At Springer there seems to be disagreement as to whether Spahn will still be needed in the future to implement the publisher's black and blue dreams. For now, Springer is losing his most important man in top politics.

This is not the only reason why Spahn's withdrawal can be interpreted optimistically. Some conservatives are showing backbone for just the second time by ousting a man who believes the rules don't apply to him. During the affair surrounding Spahn's surrogacy, the women in the Union rebelled. Now the budget politicians rebelled.

It is fitting that there was another retreat on Monday: CDU State Minister Philipp Amthor wants to get rid of the beach chair that he had placed on the balcony of the Chancellery. There had previously been strong criticism of the high-handed action. Amthor and Spahn represent a CDU that has lost feeling for the mood in the country.

The Union may have lost its political compass in many areas - but it doesn't want to be a party for sun kings.