Overview

• Multiple outlets corroborate documents showing that, as CDU treasurer in 2023, Julia Klöckner supported exploring a “CDU App GmbH” with Nius backer Frank Gotthardt, including an email in which she called the plan a good perspective for the party.
• The CDU confirms discussions but says they ended in a pre‑contract phase due to differing views, with reports noting Gotthardt’s proposed majority role and a plan to be long‑term IT provider, and an initial meeting reportedly including Friedrich Merz.
• The debate intensified after Klöckner spoke at a CDU event on CompuGroup Medical property and compared the left‑leaning taz to Nius, a portal repeatedly criticized by regulators and media experts over journalistic standards.
• Greens floor manager Irene Mihalic now questions Klöckner’s suitability for the Bundestag presidency, while Left leader Heidi Reichinnek calls for her resignation and the journalists’ union labels her media comparison wrong.
• CDU insiders express unease over her judgment and potential data‑access risks from the 2023 plan, yet she remains in office and no formal proceedings or resignation have been announced.