Political Ash Wednesday: CDU and SPD Trade Barbs in NRW
NRW's political Ash Wednesday sparks fiery clashes ahead of 2027 elections
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the political Ash Wednesday tradition unfolds primarily in the evening—though earlier in the day, business leaders had already delivered sharp rebukes to politicians.
By Christoph Ullrich, Martin Teigeler, Wolfgang Landmesser, and Jochen Trum
Though Ash Wednesday is traditionally a Bavarian affair, North Rhine-Westphalia has its own long-standing events where political rivals exchange fiery remarks as Lent begins.
For nearly three decades, the NRW branch of the SPD—specifically its Westliches Westfalen regional district—has hosted a gathering at the Freischütz hall in Schwerte. Each year, party heavyweights, some more prominent than others, make their appearances.
Pistorius Packs the House for the SPD
This year, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was the star attraction—and the crowd reflected it. With 650 attendees, the Freischütz was sold out for the first time in years.
Though Pistorius hails from Osnabrück, hardly a carnival stronghold, he joked that he was relieved not to have been invited on Rose Monday. "Otherwise, I'd have had to dress up," he quipped, adding with a grin: "I'd hate to show up as Armin Laschet"—a playful nod to his physical resemblance to the CDU lawmaker.
Beyond the Ash Wednesday revelry, Pistorius focused on social justice, praising the state party's campaign to ease the burden on NRW families. "We need quality childcare and schools, reliable working hours, fair wages that people can actually live on—and above all, respect," he declared.
He also called for greater recognition of unpaid labor, from volunteer work to family caregiving, as well as respect for "hard, traditional work." For Pistorius, structural change means "securing jobs, promoting training, and shaping transformation—with social justice at its core."
SPD's Lead Candidate Takes Aim at the CDU
Before Pistorius took the stage, state parliamentary group leader Jochen Ott delivered a scathing critique of the CDU, which had recently floated sweeping social welfare cuts. "We're witnessing an unprecedented radicalization within the CDU," Ott charged, accusing state premier Hendrik Wüst (CDU) of failing to rein in his party.
"Maybe he's too busy," Ott sneered. "He's probably filming another polished Instagram clip right now." Under Wüst, he claimed, the priority was "staging over governing"—a dig at the premier's media-savvy approach ahead of the 2027 state elections, where Ott is the SPD's designated top candidate.
CDU Gathers in the Sauerland
The CDU marked its Ash Wednesday in Lennestadt, deep in the Sauerland region. The event in Kirchveischede's shooting hall drew few high-profile politicians, but Premier Wüst used the platform to tout his black-green coalition's achievements.
He boasted that his government had made North Rhine-Westphalia safer, mocking SPD claims from a decade ago that training more than 1,500 police recruits at once was impossible. "As if Moses had chiseled it into stone," Wüst scoffed. Yet since 2023, his administration has doubled that number.
Wüst Sounds the Alarm on the Far Right
The loudest applause came when Wüst issued a stark warning about the far right. As state elections loom this year, the CDU leader cautioned that the AfD could win a state premiership in eastern Germany.
"Some say it's no big deal—that they'll self-destruct once in power," Wüst remarked. "But history shows how badly that can go." He stressed that states control critical functions—police, courts, domestic intelligence—holding the "core of the state's monopoly on force." His message was clear: Extremists must never be allowed near such power again.
Caution Against an Early Election Campaign
Business Kicks Off North Rhine-Westphalia's Political Ash Wednesday with Stark Warning
The business community set the tone for North Rhine-Westphalia's political Ash Wednesday events this morning, sounding the alarm over the region's economic crisis. "The situation is dire," declared Arndt Kirchhoff, president of the NRW Employers' Association, speaking in Düsseldorf. He warned that the state is losing 2,800 jobs every month, urging politicians to take immediate action.
Industry Leader Demands Sweeping Reforms
Kirchhoff called on the federal coalition of the CDU/CSU and SPD to put aside their differences and push through long-overdue reforms—particularly in pension and health insurance systems. Without change, he cautioned, non-wage labor costs would continue to climb.
He also sharply rejected the SPD's proposed inheritance tax reforms, arguing that taxing business assets would amount to "a disastrous vote of no confidence in entrepreneurship."
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