CDU Hamburg in turmoil: Wiese resigns and causes a series of questions!

CDU Hamburg in turmoil: Wiese resigns and causes a series of questions!

Götz Wiese, a prominent CDU member of parliament, has surprisingly announced his withdrawal from politics. His resignation is scheduled for August 31, 2025. Wiese, who was considered an economic expert, will not run again for the state chairmanship of the SME and Economic Union (MIT). In a farewell statement, he emphasized that his civic engagement was aimed at strengthening democracy and actively contributing to the future of the city and the country. Wiese came into politics as a side entrant; previously he was a successful lawyer. He was brought into politics by Christoph Ploß, the then state chairman, in order to optimize the CDU's connections to important players and associations in the economy.

During his term in office, Wiese was particularly active in port policy and the digital transformation of Hamburg's economy. He always emphasized the importance of respectful cooperation across party lines. Even after his departure, Wiese plans to continue to be involved in socio-political matters, but outside of parliament. He also co-initiated the “Hamburg Vor zur Welt” platform to promote political debates in the pre-political space. Wiese sees the CDU as having a responsibility as a liberal city party to provide impetus for an innovative and cosmopolitan metropolis. With his withdrawal, Wiese is leaving a gap in economic policy that Dennis Thering, the state and parliamentary group leader of the CDU Hamburg, must close.

Violation of the Members of Parliament Act

A premature reason for Wiese's withdrawal is a serious violation of the law on representatives. He was admonished by the President of the Citizenship, Carola Veit, because he had not declared his shareholdings in companies over which he could make political decisions. This affects, among other things, his ownership of shares in Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) and Hapag-Lloyd, which together are worth 1,300 euros.

According to Section 26 of the Hamburg Parliament Act, MPs are obliged to disclose financial interests in companies before deliberations. Wiese failed to do this, which is seen as a violation of parliamentary self-control. However, Wiese justified himself by saying that his position as a small shareholder and his shareholdings had been discussed in the economic committee. The CDU parliamentary group sees no conflict of interest due to the transparency and the small number of shares. The case will now concern the citizenry's council of elders and could have further consequences.