The failed and outgoing CDU chairman has said what everyone has long known: CSU boss Söder torpedoed his election campaign. Is Armin Laschet looking for satisfaction? There could be more to this.
Armin Laschet does not give up. He holds on to his wish, knowing full well that it is unlikely to come true. “I don’t think it’s impossible, but I wouldn’t dare to make a prognosis today,” said the still-CDU boss.
The wish, for once out loud: a “consensual solution” for his successor, for which the starting shot should be given on Saturday. Then,, the potential candidates are officially allowed to raise their hands for the post. And Laschet hopes that it will only be one hand: that of a consensus candidate.
His hope will be in vain. The only consensus among the Christian Democrats currently seems to be that Laschet flopped as a candidate for chancellor – and the CSU, above all its party leader Markus Söder. Again and again Söder torpedoed the election campaign of the Union, threw the common Front Runner Verbal sticks between the legs that Laschet, perhaps even supposed to bring.
In this respect, Wednesday evening was very informative.
In his first long TV interview since the federal election, the outgoing CDU chairman met his defeat with great sadness, but also gave an unusually open insight into his relationship with the CSU boss. “It was very good for a long time and I really believed him a lot,” said Laschet. “But many others now also say that such sentences are not helpful in the election campaign.”
The sentences, rather taunts and cross shots, fell after a ten-day power struggle for the candidacy for chancellor in April, in which Laschet had prevailed against Söder. Laschet called Söder again and again: “Markus, leave it. Markus, why are you saying that again now?” Söder declared: “No, that is wrongly quoted. I did not say that at all.” There were always other explanations, Laschet reported to TV viewers.
But why?
Laschet spread what everyone has long known. Did he want satisfaction? Knowing that the responsibility for the election failure is shared among several shoulders? Simply throw up? Possible. But there should be more to Söder-Schelte.
A wink with the fence post
When the race for the CDU chairmanship opens on Saturday, and the aspirants for Laschet’s successor appear to be out of cover, Söder should also give his mustard to whom he considers the most suitable candidate. The party heads of the CDU and CSU are officially responsible for the future course of the Union, which should not least lead from the opposition bank back to government responsibility – and Söder will be interested in the “new way of togetherness”, with one, for an end in itself Allies to go.
Friedrich Merz shouldn’t be one of them. The CDU economic politician is considered a promising candidate for the CDU chairmanship – and described the election campaign behavior of the CSU as throwing.
It is therefore appropriate to be skeptical when Söder promises, in addition to a new cooperation: “The CSU will therefore not give any public advice, but – if so desired – help to stabilize the Union.” Should Merz go into the race, he should hardly stick to it. Especially since he has already made it clear in the past (Spoiler: not much).
Laschet’s remarks can therefore also be read like a wink with a fence post to the CDU members, who will soon be voting on their new party chairman: If there is no consensus candidate, then do not let yourself be involved in the election. As a reminder that the base only has to follow its own conscience when voting – not that of Söder. That the supposedly well-intentioned advice from Bavaria all too often turned out to be opportunistic lip service. The election campaign must have shown that, so the subtle message. It is not for nothing that Laschet answered the question about his relationship with the CSU boss with the sentence: “It was very good for a long time and I really believed him a lot” – which, conversely, he no longer does.
It may be unlikely that Laschet will get his “consensual solution” for the CDU chairmanship. But maybe after his appearance at “Maischberger” he was able to ensure agreement on at least one point: the CDU elects its chairman – and no one else.
Source From: Stern
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