FDP Members Join CDU in Bergisch Gladbach to Boost Liberal Voice
In a move to bolster liberal representation in local politics, Alexander Engel and Dorothee Wasmuth, erstwhile FDP members, have joined the CDU's Bergisch Gladbach city council faction. This decision, effective November 3, 2025, comes as small groups dwindle in the new council, signaling closer cooperation between the two parties.
The merger sees the CDU's dominance expand, though it falls shy of an outright majority. Michael Metten, chair of the CDU faction, welcomed the move, emphasizing the need for a visible liberal voice, especially in challenging times. He noted shared values with the FDP on economic policy, education, and individual responsibility.
Engel and Wasmuth, who will not assume leadership roles within the CDU, aim to facilitate liberal policy work and fortify liberal ideas in local politics. The alliance allows the FDP to appoint more experts to committees and ensures FDP representation in key committees. However, the parties will not form a joint CDU/FDP faction.
With the merger, the CDU faction grows, and the FDP gains influence in committees. Both parties view this cooperation as a sign of constructive, policy-driven governance that serves the city's best interests. Despite the change, neither Engel nor Wasmuth will hold leadership positions within the CDU faction.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
