For Friedrich Merz the game is over - but the new CDU boss Armin Laschet also takes up his post damaged after the crooked tour with Spahn.
In the end, a third party could be happy.
A comment by Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis.
The CDU is, perhaps this is the secret of its success, a cautious party.
With Armin Laschet, she chose the cautious “Keep it up” and not the riskier new start with Friedrich Merz.
But she did it with such a narrow majority and with such energetic help from a visibly partisan party congress management that the winner was already damaged at the moment of his triumph.
In front of the party base.
And the voters.
At party congresses, the fight is often hard.
But this was marked by two particularly bad fouls.
The first perpetrated on Friday by the Chancellor when she did not pay any personal attention to the outgoing party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was once her ideal successor.
Suddenly it was freezing cold in the Christian Union.
The second serious violation of fairness was committed by the Laschet / Spahn duo on Saturday immediately before the first ballot when the Minister of Health abused an alleged question and answer session for the delegates about a long-term advertising program for his tandem partner that had been agreed with Laschet and the party congress leadership.
The Merz camp reminded the maneuver badly of the last party congress, when a change of camp (rewarded with the post of general secretary) by the then JU boss Ziemiak at the last minute was the decisive factor for Kramp-Karrenbauer and against Merz.
The recent accusations of the Sauerlander that the "establishment" wanted to prevent him were probably only too justified.
It is a shame that the notoriously underestimated Laschet got involved in the wrong game after he had previously played his trump cards in a clever application speech.
This poison will eat its way into the party.
Spahn's historically poor result in the election as vice-party leader was the first evidence of this.
The over-ambitious health minister, who already sounded out his ambitions for chancellor in the party in December instead of investing all his time and energy in the preparation of the vaccination campaign, shot himself out of the running for chancellor candidacy.
Whether this also applies to Laschet will show success or failure in the state elections.
He will have to prove that he really is the reconciler and team player he promised to be - and not just Merkel's last line-up to prevent Merz.
Laschet has to make the defeated Merzians a serious offer, unlike in his application speech, in which he bowed three times to the Chancellor but ignored the Conservatives.
If the inferior Merz wing does not find the place it deserves in the “Team Laschet” and Laschet cannot emancipate himself from the overpowering Chancellor, the new CDU boss will also fail like his unfortunate predecessor.
Spicy: Merz's immoral offer to join the federal government was immediately rejected by Merkel on Saturday - and not by Laschet.
As party leader in a coalition government, he would actually have the right to propose to the CDU ministers.
But the newly elected boss stood by like an apprentice.
It is quite possible that the torn CDU will ultimately have to be pacified from outside.
In Munich, CSU boss Söder would do well to warm up for the candidacy for chancellor.
