CDU candidate in Baden-Württemberg criticized for 2018 remarks about a schoolgirl

The dispute erupted when Zoe Mayer, a Green Party MP, published a clip from a 2018 television interview on social media, in which Manuel Hagel, then a junior activist and now the head of CDU in Baden-Württemberg, talked about a meeting with young people. In an interview for the local station Regio TV Schwaben on the program "Auf ein Bier" ("For a Beer"), the politician recalled a visit to a class at a Realschule (secondary school), noting that "there were a lot of girls there." He particularly remembered one of them, whose name (Ewa), hair color (brown), and "rehbraune Augen" (hazel, light brown eyes) he said he recalled. This detailed, personal reference to a minor became the spark for criticism.

Baden-Württemberg is one of the wealthiest and most innovative federal states in Germany, governed since 2011 by Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann of the Greens, who forms a coalition with the CDU. This alliance between Christian Democrats and environmentalists, unique on a federal scale, is of interest to political scientists. The state elections, scheduled for March 8, 2026, are set to determine whether this model will survive or if the CDU will regain sole governance.Hagel and his campaign team immediately took action to defuse the situation. In an official statement, the candidate explained that his words were merely meant to illustrate genuine, positive engagement in meetings with young people and were taken out of context. He emphasized that he never had bad intentions and that the whole story is an attempt by political rivals to discredit him at a critical moment in the campaign. However, the statement met with a sharp reaction from some commentators and internet users, who accused the politician of a lack of tact and inappropriate, objectifying treatment of the schoolgirl.

The matter is particularly delicate because it touches on the sensitive issue of relations between politicians and youth, as well as standards of public discourse. „Das zeigt, welches Frauen- und Mädchenbild Herr Hagel hat. Diese objektivierende Sichtweise ist inakzeptabel, besonders bei jemandem, der unser Bundesland führen will.” (This shows what kind of image Mr. Hagel has of women and girls. This objectifying view is unacceptable, especially from someone who wants to lead our federal state.) — Zoe Mayer In response, the CDU campaign team accused Mayer of running a campaign based on insinuations and personal attacks. Poll analyses indicate the incident could affect Hagel's image, who was seen as a young, modern politician capable of attracting centrist voters. This event is becoming a test for his campaign in the final days before the vote, where any mistake could influence the outcome.