The SPD and CDU/CSU are on the verge of losing an entire generation of young people. The pressure on Andrea Nahles has become so intense that she will face a vote of confidence from her parliamentary group next week. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is also under heavy criticism – after less than six months as party leader. The CDU/CSU was caught completely off guard by the furious critique of a 26-year-old YouTuber just before the European elections.

How deep is the alienation between young people and those in power? Are the CDU and SPD focusing on the wrong issues? Are they giving the wrong answers? Or do both major parties simply have the wrong leadership? These are the questions explored in a 75-minute "maybrit illner special" entitled "The Grand Coalition Disaster – Wrong Issues, Wrong Answers?"

A YouTube video titled "The Destruction of the CDU" became an internet sensation shortly before the European elections. The YouTuber Rezo published the video on May 18th. Rezo, who is otherwise rather apolitical on his YouTube channels, attacks the CDU and CSU, as well as the SPD and AfD, in the 55-minute clip. He laments the unjust distribution of wealth in Germany, what he considers to be climate and environmental policies that defy all scientific reason, the incompetence of individual CDU/CSU politicians, and the alleged German involvement in war crimes. He cites a long list of sources as evidence. At the beginning of the clip, the 26-year-old states that his video is not a boring political video, but a genuine scathing critique. "Not because I'm actively trying to destroy anyone, but because the facts simply show that the CDU is destroying itself, its reputation, and its election results." He claims that decades of CDU-dominated policies in Germany have led to a widening gap between rich and poor. Rezo clarifies that he includes the CSU in his definition of CDU, as it is simply a Bavarian version of the CDU. In the video, he says, among other things, regarding what he sees as the unequal distribution of the tax burden: "The government, and during that period primarily the CDU, has many options and levers to influence such matters." He criticizes environmental policy, stating that climate targets have not been met: "Setting targets and not meeting them is for people who want to lose weight." Rezo's previously published videos focused primarily on music and only rarely on politics. He told the German Press Agency about himself: "Besides planning, filming, and post-producing such web video content, I primarily work as a computer scientist and musician." By election Sunday, the video had been viewed by around 11.5 million users. The appeal initiated by Rezo, published by over 90 leading German YouTubers, urging people not to vote for the grand coalition parties and the AfD, had been viewed by almost three million people by that time.

CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak initially accused Rezo, who is successful on the YouTube channel, of "false claims," ​​without elaborating. “Rezo has no qualms about presenting things online as simpler than they actually are – we have more qualms about that because we know how complex many issues are,” he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND) on May 22. Ziemiak admitted a weakness of his party in reaching young people online: “We need to be more present online – we need to use the internet even more to present complex issues in a more understandable way,” he said. The CDU refused to release a video response to Rezo that had already been produced and featured Bundestag member Philipp Amthor. Amthor said the CDU did not want to communicate with the “YouTuber” via videos, but rather seek a personal conversation. The party leadership then invited Rezo to a discussion: “Dear @rezomusik, let’s talk,” General Secretary Paul Ziemiak wrote on Twitter last Thursday. “You have raised points of criticism that are justified.” In a statement released via Twitter yesterday, the YouTuber set conditions for this. The SPD has already publicly stated that it wants a significant change of course to advance the fight against the climate crisis, and they want to discuss "the how," Rezo wrote. This is a "good basis for a discussion" in which he would gladly participate. His public question to Kramp-Karrenbauer and CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak is: "Which is it for you? Do you say, 'Yes, we need to make a significant change of course, and let's talk about the how,' or do you say, 'No, a significant change of course isn't necessary'?" He wants a clear answer on this, Rezo continued.

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