"Young, lesbian, migrant and long-time CDU member" says that Merkel's conservatives is the right party for her
Record ID:
909248
"Young, lesbian, migrant and long-time CDU member" says that Merkel's conservatives is the right party for her
- Title: "Young, lesbian, migrant and long-time CDU member" says that Merkel's conservatives is the right party for her
- Date: 6th September 2017
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 4, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF #FEDIDWGUGL (CAMPAIGN SLOGAN "FUER EIN DEUTSCHLAND IN DEM WIR GUT UND GERN LEBEN" [FOR A GERMANY IN WHICH WE CAN LIVE WELL]) CDU ELECTION CAMPAIGN HOUSE CDU MEMBER WORKING AT ENTRANCE WRITING ON WALL, READING (German) "THE WALK-IN PROGRAMME OF THE CDU. #FEDIDWGUGL HOUSE VARIOUS OF DIANA KINNERT (WITH BLACK CAP) AND OTHER CDU MEMBER 3D INSTALLATION, KINNERT AND JOURNALIST WALKING TO SEATS (SOUNDBITE) (German) CDU MEMBER, DIANA KINNERT, SAYING: "I've been a member of the CDU for almost a decade. And there are almost half a million members of the CDU. And so I've got to a certain level of familiarity and over the ten years I've got to know many people. Some I would never agree with, but we still shake hands and are courteous to each other. And many who I see in my corner, depending on the topic. There are some who are in favour of marriage for all because of deeply Christian values, but at the same time they are against assisted suicide, which I am in favour of, for the same Christian values. So there are new alliances and friendships depending on the issue. And I think, if you have that attitude and understand that culture then it is possible to deal with each other on a rational level. And that it is not an emotionally charged group but more like a neutral instrument case where we all work together." KINNERT AND JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (German) CDU MEMBER, DIANA KINNERT, SAYING: "Well, it is always a bit distorted. Often I am perceived by people through positions which have no majority appeal within the CDU. Because I speak so much about them. Because if I have a position that the CDU already represents why bother about it? Then I'm already happy about it." CLOSE OF KINNERT SPEAKING SIGN, READING (German) "#FEDIDWGUGL [FOR A GERMANY IN WHICH WE CAN LIVE WELL] KINNERT SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) CDU MEMBER, DIANA KINNERT, SAYING: "One example is opening up marriage to all, which has always been important to me. And not only because of a liberal position, not only because of a personal concern, but also because of a Christian, conservative fundamental value. I think that people who care for each other, who have a relationship, which then is also somewhat relieving the state because if two people motivate each other then they are much less likely to be depressed and work together and so on. And if those people want to establish a companionship of care and responsibility for each other, and pledge to uphold that for the long-term - then I think that is something worth promoting. And not only because of Christian perspective that this is based on love and care, but also because of a conservative perspective that we should strengthen commitment, because commitments create cooperation and care for each other. And I have tried to argue that within the CDU, for years. Years ago I called in a Kreuzberg (part of Berlin) lesbian magazine for a Christian conservative "Yes" to marriage for all, and for years I've been laughed about. And I've been fought against for years by my own party members. So I cannot say that I prevailed in my own party because the issue became moot. It then became a matter of conscience. But now I'm very happy about the compromise." KINNERT SPEAKING TATTOO ON KINNERT'S ARM VARIOUS OF KINNERT SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) CDU MEMBER, DIANA KINNERT, SAYING: "Because I don't think that Angela Merkel has stayed the same person for 12 years, or that she is competing with a party program that is 12 years old. She has stayed true to herself. With every year, every situation, every challenge she engages herself anew. And we do not have a party programme today that says I am for nuclear power, or I am for closed borders, but she has a party programme that fits the times. Because she is an open and free-thinking person who can adapt to new situations, who is curious and wilfull - and I admire that about her. " WRITING ON WALL, READING (German) "THE PULSE OF THE GERMAN ECONOMY" 3D INSTALLATION OF ECONOMIC DATA KINNERT LOOKING AT 3D INSTALLATION
- Embargoed: 20th September 2017 15:20
- Keywords: Diana Kinnert Christian Democratic Union CDU Angela Merkel election lesbian migrant
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016XGHSUF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Diana Kinnert is an unusual face in the conservative CDU, the party of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The tattooed and baseball-cap-wearing 26-year-old with Polish-Filipino roots helped draft proposals to modernise the CDU and has said parties should embrace new communication tools to make young people currently put off by "sterile" politics more politically-engaged in the long term.
The CDU member was born in Wuppertal and has been a party member for almost a decade. She has not always been well-liked by all of her party peers, especially for her more niche views.
"There are some who are in favour of marriage for all because of deeply Christian values, but at the same time they are against assisted suicide, which I am in favour of, for the same Christian values. So there are new alliances and friendships depending on the issue," she told Reuters.
Kinnert, who owns a t-shirt reading 'Keep Calm and Vote for Angie,' says despite Merkel's age and lengthy tenure she never stops learning and is future-orientated.
After 12 years in power, Chancellor Angela Merkel is positioning herself as more than just the nation's grandmother by campaigning in cyberspace to try to win over younger voters and secure a pipeline of supporters for future elections. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None