In late summer, Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder wanted to decide who would lead the Union as candidate for chancellor in the federal election campaign. Now they have called a press conference.
In the final sprint for the Union’s candidate for chancellor, CDU chairman Friedrich Merz and CSU leader Markus Söder are holding a joint press conference in Berlin. This is to take place on Tuesday at 12 noon in the Bavarian representation, as the CSU regional group announced this morning. They are expected to announce the decision on the candidate for chancellor there.
It is also now generally expected that the Union will go into the next federal election with Merz at the helm. However, the final decision will have to be made by the Union’s party committees. Söder and Merz have repeatedly announced that they will make a decision on the Union’s K question in late summer and make a joint proposal to the parties.
Wüst has renounced
Most recently, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst announced on Monday evening that he was not currently available to run for chancellor. At the same time, Wüst, who heads the CDU’s largest regional association, pledged his support to Merz.
Merz announced on Sunday that the K question would soon be resolved. When asked whether his decision had been made in this context, he said on ZDF: “Soon.” Söder and he would “make a proposal, then the party executives of the CDU and CSU would deal with it.
Next Monday, after the state elections in Brandenburg on Sunday, the CDU and CSU will hold regular committee meetings. This would also be an opportunity for the party leaders to discuss the question of the chancellor candidate.
CDU leader usually has first right of access
The CDU chairman usually has first access to the CDU and CSU’s candidacy for chancellor. However, after the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia on September 1, CSU leader Söder repeatedly reiterated that he was also available for this.
Before the 2021 federal election, there was a power struggle between Söder and the then CDU chairman Armin Laschet over the K question, which Laschet ultimately won. However, Söder had repeatedly burdened Laschet’s election campaign with public taunts. In the end, the Union lost the federal election.
Source: Stern
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