Markus Söder is not Barack Obama, not even the Bavarian Prime Minister, who has enough self-confidence, would say that. But just as the CSU leader is being treated by the Christian Democrats at their congress in Leipzig - Söder could perhaps doubt it again.
He can not even leave the exhibition hall 1 on this day without the congress interrupting his deliberations. The head of government of Schleswig-Holstein, Daniel Günther, at this moment conference president, calls after him: "Was a cool performance", again there is loud applause. As Söder entered the hall during the application debate, booming beats were set up, CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer picked him up at the entrance, the delegates were already over the moon.
Yes, he can
Söder can talk enthusiastically. A gift that has proven in the past one and a half days no-one persevering at the CDU party congress. He makes fun of the Greens, because of the SPD, not even Chancellor Angela Merkel is safe on this day in front of him as an object of ridicule.
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Merkel at the congress: Half she is there, half she is goneSöder can feel so unchallenged that Söder also self-critically names the severe crisis between the CDU and CSU from the early summer of 2018, to which he has made a significant contribution. And Söder can talk pretty much away from the liver right now. This ability is currently missing from the CDU leadership staff.
After Kramp-Karrenbauer's vote of confidence, the matter was clear
Most of the approximately 1,000 delegates in Leipzig had apparently wished for one thing above all else for this party congress, the 32nd of the CDU: just no further unrest. As one of the leading Christian Democrats, who considered themselves important, in the weeks leading up to the party congress, one was shocked at the CDU at some point. And at the latest after the reaction of the delegates to the question of confidence, which surprised party leader Kramp-Karrenbauer on Friday afternoon at the end of her speech, the matter was clear. The CDU wants peace for now
Friedrich Merz, who would like to lead the Union into the next federal election as chancellor candidate, was - for now - subordinated to his speech in the debate after the speech of the chairman as well as the others who had caused trouble before the congress. One of them was Tilman Kuban, head of the junior youth organization Junge Union (JU): "Annegret, you've made mistakes too, everybody makes mistakes, I've made mistakes too, mistakes are human," he said at the lectern. "Let's risk the restart today."
A possible uprising against the party leader? Nobody wanted to know about that anymore. Instead, consideration and caution. Everything under the eyes of Chancellor Merkel, who for the first time in 20 years did not go to a congress as chairman, but attended him until the traditional end with the singing of the national anthem on Saturday afternoon.
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CDU party congress: Kramp-Karrenbauer trumps up - for the time beingSo it was in the end really the "Labor Party Day", the Kramp-Karrenbauer had wished in advance. Until late in the evening, the delegates held out on Friday to discuss factual issues. Finally, at half past nine, finally, a Christian Democrat dared to make a motion for a regulation at the end of the debate - against the express vote of the chairmen, the hungry and weary delegates voted by a large majority. So much for the rebel spirit of the congress.
Controversies were cleared up - all for the sake of peace
And wherever real controversy threatened, the congress either agreed on compromises, rejected the motions in commissions or voted with great determination for the line of leadership: Instead of excluding the Chinese company Huawei from expanding the 5G network, they agreed a fundamentally harsher examination, the quota application of the women's union wandered without any debate in the new constitutional commission, the demand of the JU for a primary election to the next candidate for chancellorship was rejected with nearly 80 percent of the delegates votes. All for the sake of peace.
No, the CDU is far from being social-democratized, as it has been argued in recent weeks: when it comes down to it, there is discipline and no chaos among the Christian Democrats.
Only crucial content, structural and personnel issues remain unclear. Dealing with China, the women's deficit of the CDU - and the Annegret-Kramp-Karrenbauer-Friedrich-Merz-Jens-Spahn-Armin-Laschet question. The chairperson indirectly confirmed her function, nothing more and nothing less. Even though Kramp-Karrenbauer feels strengthened, everything else is just as open as it was before the party congress. If, in fact, it is not decided in a year on the Union Chancellor candidate, all continue to be in the race.
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Kramp-Karrenbauer and Söder in Leipzig
And then there's Markus Söder. Consideration and caution? Why should he. It's good that he does not spontaneously declare his claim to the next chancellor candidate after his speech, so he could be interpreted that way. But Söder does not want that, after all you know. That's another reason he can talk so freely.
"Let's not be so small-minded," he shouts to the delegate at the end of his speech. Think big, act big. Quite the opposite of what the CDU is capable of.
Unlike Merz Söder is loyal to the CDU boss
Two CSU politicians have tried so far to jump into the Chancellery, with Franz Josef Strauss and Edmund Stoiber failed probably the most significant predecessor Söders. He is just a year and a half Prime Minister in Bavaria, party leader a few months longer. And Söder still has a lot in the Free State, where he is as unchallenged as in his party.
In the video: assessments of the SPIEGEL editor Ralf Neukirch
DPA / SPIEGEL ONLINE
No, Markus Söder is not a new Merz. He has to accept that he is highly loyal to Kramp-Karrenbauer, that he does not want to damage her. Söder is somewhat concerned with the re-established good relationship of the sister parties, he needs a CDU boss at eye level and with authority.
But if Söder wants to avoid debates about whether he is not the natural Union chancellor candidate, the CSU chief should probably avoid appearances like Leipzig in the future.
