Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 08MUNICH423, GERMANY/BAVARIA: GERMAN COALITION PARTIES

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08MUNICH423.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
08MUNICH423 2008-12-23 08:40 2010-11-28 18:00 CONFIDENTIAL Consulate Munich
VZCZCXRO3268
OO RUEHAG RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHMZ #0423/01 3580840
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 230840Z DEC 08
FM AMCONSUL MUNICH
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4623
INFO RUCNMEU/EU INTEREST COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUCNFRG/FRG COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO IMMEDIATE 0307
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MUNICH 000423

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/22/2018
TAGS: PGOV GM
SUBJECT: GERMANY/BAVARIA: GERMAN COALITION PARTIES
QUARRELING

REF: A. MUNICH 355
B. MUNICH 351

Classified By: Consul General Eric Nelson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

SUMMARY 
-------

1. (SBU) The Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU),
dangerously weakened, is attempting to sharpen its profile
among Bavarian and national voters, by pursuing an aggressive
economic campaign that diverges from that of its sister
party, Chancellor Merkel's Christian Democrats. The CSU is
finding plenty of opportunities to profile itself locally and
nationally in addressing the challenges presented by the
financial crisis. For one, Bavarian Minister President
Seehofer has threatened to boycott the January 5 "coalition
summit" if Chancellor Merkel does not bend to the CSU's
recipe for responding to Germany's economic downturn through
a tax reform proposal. Merkel needs a strong CSU showing in
Bavaria to achieve her goal of a CDU/CSU-FDP coalition after
the 2009 national elections, but the CSU's strategy could
build tensions between the sister parties. How the CDU-CSU
divisions play out could influence national economic policy
as well as how the upcoming campaign will shape up in the
months to come. End Summary.


CSU SALTING THE CDU'S SOUP 
--------------------------

2. (SBU) The CSU still holds Chancellor Merkel partly
responsible for the CSU's poor outcome in the September 2008
state elections. Merkel failed to support the CSU, for
example, on the tax deductibility of commuting costs, one of
the CSU's key issues that the CDU had rejected until the
latest ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court that agreed
with the position of the CSU. Erwin Huber, former head of
the CSU, said "the CDU should have listened to us instead of
Finance Minister Steinbrueck (SPD) on this sensitive issue."

3. (C) Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Secretary General of the
CSU (PROTECT), told the Consul General on December 17 that
the CSU is "heating up the debate" and will meet on January 4
"to map out a strategy for the 2009 election campaign,"
adding, "We want to be more like the party was under Edmund
Stoiber and Franz Josef Straus (both legendary former
Minister Presidents)." Or, as Hartmut Kotschyk (CSU party
whip in the Bundestag) put it to the P/E Chief recently, "We
want to be the salt in their soup."

4. (C) Zu Guttenberg and Koschyk reviewed possible
approaches the CSU would take with its platform for 2009.

a) Taking a hard line against EU membership not only for
Turkey but also for Ukraine. The CSU could lump Turkey and
Ukraine together so neither country could feel singled out
for bad treatment. The CSU's new foreign policy spokeswoman
in the Bundestag, Dorothee Baer, told Berlin PolMC that this
would be a focus of the CSU's campaign for European
Parliament elections in June 2009.

b) Insisting on more EU "subsidiarity." The CSU wants more
respect for national and regional and local prerogatives in
governance and administrative control, such as allowing
restrictions on bioengineered seeds.

c) Strengthening and refocusing the economy. The CSU wants
a renewed commitment to human over financial capital as a way
to address what Koschyk called "a believability problem among
the rank and file Germans for the market economy." Zu
Guttenberg complained that "Merkel was not being assertive
enough on the economy," echoing recent statements by Horst
Seehofer, Bavarian Minister President (CSU). However, he
also admitted that he could understand her approach since he
found her to be "personally conservative" and "not one to be
in the front on bold initiatives." He expected she was
"trying to maintain her options in 2009" as well as "trying
to stay close to the coalition Social Democratic Party (SPD)."


BAVARIA'S PRESIDENT CUTTING A MEAN FIGURE 
-----------------------------------------

5. (SBU) Finally, MP Seehofer has criticized the CDU in
public around Bavaria, in Berlin, and in the media, which
reported that CDU leaders viewed his actions as
"unpredictable" because he made proposals that strayed from

MUNICH 00000423 002 of 002


the coalition's party line. He criticized the Chancellor's
economic course, for example, arguing that Germany needed a
larger and more meaningful program than the Chancellor had
supported. Seehofer preserved the independence of Bavarian
control over the Bayerische Landesbank (BayernLB) by
rejecting the Federal rescue package in an attempt to use
only Bavarian resources. And, he pushed for immediate tax
deductions, not just some time after the election.

COMMENT: CREATING INDIVIDUALITY WITHOUT KILLING EACH OTHER 
--------------------------------------------- -------------

6. (C) Chancellor Merkel and the CDU need a strong and
cooperative Bavarian CSU partner in order to win the 2009
Bundestag election. Down in Bavaria, the CSU must get
stronger, too, and is fighting for its uniqueness as a
regional party with national and international credentials.
Although the ultimate goals are compatible, the CSU
necessarily must set itself apart from the CDU to prove
itself to skeptical locals who knocked the CSU off its high
horse in the last election. The challenge for both parties
is to allow the CSU to profile itself without killing the
relationship, and each other's chances, with an overly
aggressive factional campaign.

7. (U) Track Munich reporting at
xxxxx
NELSON