Overview

• In a Stern podcast, Ricarda Lang called Julia Klöckner a “Polarisierungsunternehmerin” and said she fuels outrage and symbolic debates instead of addressing real problems.
• Lang argued the office should stand above party conflict and contrasted Klöckner’s style with former presidents Wolfgang Schäuble and Norbert Lammert.
• Robert Habeck had recently labeled Klöckner a “Fehlbesetzung,” accusing her of persistently polarizing and dividing.
• Klöckner rejected claims of partisanship and urged a more respectful tone, and CDU general secretary Carsten Linnemann publicly defended her.
• Controversy around Klöckner has included banning the rainbow flag at the Bundestag and clashes over dress rules, and no formal steps against her have been reported.