Well, it would only be fair, Stoiber always sits next to Merkel, so they have to be treated as two parties. They made a contract with each other not to compeat in each others territory, but I know they used to try and also the CSU got mightly burned, when they tried to establish the DSU after the Wende. One of my professors was a founding member of the DSU, it was very interesting...

So Parties or Factions? Big question.

But I don't think, it has sunk through to everybody yet, it might still be just a theoretical one.