CDU elects deputy Chancellor Merkel

“A popular centre party”: Chancellor Angela Merkel says that and so does party head Annegret Kramp-Keenbauer. That message sounds encouraging and persistent. For over 20 years, the Christian Democrat party (CDU) is led by women the longest period by Angela Merkel and the last 25 months by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. In their speeches Friday evening (15.01) both made a retrospective. While Saturday (16.01) follows the vote for the election of one of the three candidates.

The Chancellor, in a 15-minute speech directed through video 1001 delegates of the digital congress as typical of him, referred to statistics with a quick look at the goals developments in her 15 years as Chancellors, but she did not say a word about the withdrawal of Kramp-Carrenbauer from the party's leadership. The party chairman's speech focused somewhat more on the decision for the successor, still open. „To firmly support the new chairman, to stand united”, Kramp-Carrenbauer appealed.

Armin Laschet, Friedrich Merz, Norbert Rötgen are the three competitors to succeed Kramp-Carrenabauer. Neither Merkel nor Kramp-Karrenbauer have effectively expressed which candidates they prefer.

Although Merkel's successor election is not officially targeted at the virtual CSU congress. But it is fought only for party leadership. But since in recent polls the conservative union turns out to be the strongest party at a distance, the Chancellor's case will automatically be thought: The one who will be chairman of the CDU should basically be eligible to be the candidate for the Chancellor.

Catholic men from the North-Westphalia Lad

Three candidates are in the race for party chairman and want to follow chairman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. They are: Former chairman of the CDU parliamentary group Friedrich Merz, North-Westphalia Land Prime Minister Armin Laschet and foreign policy expert at the CDU, Norbert Röttgen.

What three have in common is that they are all three Catholics and families coming from the same land, Renana Veryoe-Vestphalia. All three are politically to attend a centre course with the goal of clearly defining the CDU and not having a right or a right from AfD or left from left parties.

And all three share concern about their party's future, which often lags behind in the background of social change. They require more digitalization and more climate protection, linking this to a powerful economy.

The polytologist from Trier, Wewe Jun, summed up the differences between the three, formulated: „Merz is more about the party's clear condition, Laschett for attracting its political centre's electorate, Rötgen for the party's renewal. ”

A continuation without secession from Merkel's policy could likely offer Laschet. Merz, who in the party leadership race nearly two years ago lost by little to Kramp-Karrenbauer, will probably change the party. He has called on the party to secede from Merkel's shadow. Although the Chancellor has brought good results to the party with the management of the coronary pandemic, according to Merz: „on September 26th we will not be solved thanks to the past, but with expectations and expectations for the future”.

But however, when the Germans will choose the new Bundestag (parliament), Angela Merkel will leave after 16 years in the post of Chancellor. It has seen US presidents go and go, five British prime ministers and seven Italian prime ministers. Throughout the many crises of this period, it was considered a granite rock in the face of the European crisis of state debt and thus far the coronary pandemic. So whoever is Merkel's successor, he's going to need great effort to walk on the trail of such a level. / DW/