CDU is looking for AKK successor: conversation with Merz has been unusually long - more than a pointer?

2020-02-18T21:35:43.754Z

AKK resigns after the Thuringia disaster. A potential successor is Friedrich Merz. According to a survey, Robert Habeck is hot on his heels.

CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer radically says goodbye to her highest political positions and perspectives.
In her reasoning she bluntly addresses the disastrous prime minister election in Thuringia *.
Armin Laschet is also in discussion for AKK's successor . He now surprised with a statement about the Left Party .

Update from 1:52 p.m .: The unexpected advance by CDU foreign expert Norbert Röttgen could have surprised CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the prominent successor contender Friedrich Merz. Kramp-Karrenbauer had already arranged personal discussions with some party colleagues to clarify their successors. In addition to Merz, Armin Laschet and Jens Spahn are among them.

During Kramp-Karrenbauer's conversation with Merz on Tuesday, Röttgen made his statement on the candidacy at the federal press conference. It is quite possible that the party colleagues followed the broadcast before they turned to other topics. At least the conversation has been going on for more than an hour.

The contents of the conversation were initially unknown. From the Merz area, it was said last week that Merz had decided to run for party presidency.

CDU is looking for AKK successor: Talks with Merz on Tuesday - more than a pointer?

Update of February 18: After the resignation of CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , several candidates position themselves within the CDU. Surprisingly, Norbert Röttgen also mixes in on Tuesday morning. The day before, CSU leader Söder had said that the CDU should clarify its party chairmanship for the time being without looking for a candidate for chancellor. Because the decision for the candidate of the Union could not be made without the CSU. Söder breaks with a statement from the outgoing chairman.

Update from February 17, 7:31 pm: CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer holds talks on Tuesday to prepare for the change of leadership in her party. According to information from party circles, a meeting with former faction leader Friedrich Merz, who is considered a candidate for her successor, is initially planned. Kramp-Karrenbauer also wants to give one-on-one discussions with the other aspirants, Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn and NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet.

The party leader wants to explore how the change of leadership in her party can be carried out as smoothly as possible. One of the open questions is when should the new boss be elected; we are talking about a special party conference before the summer break.

It is also open when the candidate for chancellor will be chosen. AKK wants to inform the Presidium about their talks on Monday and may then already submit a proposal for the further procedure.

Update from February 17, 2:32 p.m .: After the Thuringia debacle , Markus Söder explains: Chancellor candidate and CDU chairmanship need not be clarified in person. The CDU could deal with its presidency, but the decision for a candidate for chancellor was "not made without the CSU". So on Monday before the CSU board meeting, Söder advocates postponing the election of Union chancellor candidates. Meanwhile, Günther Oettinger, a CDU-size chancellor, Angela Merkel sharply criticized.

Will Friedrich Merz succeed AKK?

Update from February 16, 2020 at 3:12 p.m .: There is no question that the political quake in Thuringia has serious consequences. Not least, this resulted in the resignation of CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer . Now the current RTL / ntv trend barometer shows who the voters would like to entrust with AKK's successor. Particularly controversial: When it comes to the Chancellor's question , Green Party leader Robert Habeck and CDU politician Friedrich Merz are almost on par , reports focus.de . Habeck would get 30 percent, Merz 31 percent. Accordingly, 39 percent would choose neither of the two. Merz would have a much greater approval than Kramp-Karrenbauer, which has only had 16 percent in the past few weeks.

AKK / CDU crisis: Merz has supporters especially for FDP and AfD supporters

Nevertheless, he would be significantly below AKK's values immediately after her election as CDU chairman (43 percent). Merz has the greatest support among German citizens who consider themselves to be "right" (60 percent), FDP supporters (64 percent) and AfD supporters (54 percent). The lowest approval levels for Merz were among women (27 percent), voters from the center-left spectrum (29 percent) and among 18 to 29-year-olds (20 percent).

The question of what will happen after the earthquake in Thuringia and at the top of the CDU will also be debated in the evening with “Anne Will”.

Update at 4:06 p.m .: Although CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer warns of an overly hasty search for her successor - but before the summer break , the chairman of the federal parliamentary group probably wants to know her successor in a dry cloth anyway . The question of her successor should be answered by then. This was made clear in the presidium and the CDU federal executive board, said AKK. Meanwhile, two of their potential successors, Armin Laschet and Friedrich Merz , are causing a stir with their latest statements. The latter, however, has a prominent fan. Til Schweiger recently raved in the highest tones of Merz.

AKK / CDU crisis: Laschet expresses unexpected statement about the Left Party - "Then we can talk about everything"

Update at 1:24 p.m .: NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet is currently making a name for himself as a possible candidate for the successor of CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer - but he did not comment on this at a "Valentine's meeting" of the CDU Kelkheim on Friday evening - for that but surprised him with an unexpected statement about the Left Party . At first, Laschet emphasized that the CDU would never cooperate, cooperate or tolerate it with a right-wing party . This also applies to the left , albeit for other reasons, such as their hostility to the EU.

"Nobody equates Mr. Ramelow with Mr. Höcke," said Laschet, according to a report by Bild.de. The CDU politician also emphasized that Ramelow is a colleague of prime ministers "with whom one can speak pragmatically". Nevertheless, in contrast to the Greens in Hesse, the left still has an “anti-system character” . Then came the surprise statement: "If that is done and if no constitutional protection has to watch her because she works against our basic order, then we can talk about everything, " announced Laschet.

At the Munich Security Conference, he also commented on Angela Merkel's European policy on Sunday - and his conclusion is devastating.

AKK / CDU crisis: CDU boss warns of hasty search for successors and refers to planned talks

Update from February 15, 6.51 a.m .: The outgoing CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has warned against being too hasty in her search for a successor . "There is no reason now to make a decision within 24 hours," she said on ARD on Friday evening. In view of the international situation and the importance of Germany, one always has to keep an eye on the stability of the country - "even when making political decisions".

Kramp-Karrenbauer confirmed that she would hold one-on-one meetings "with the three potential candidates" next week. "Only then can you see how things will go." The following Monday, February 24th, she would inform the CDU top bodies about the talks. Then they would advise on how to proceed and also determine how to proceed. According to dpa information, Kramp-Karrenbauer wants to meet with the former union group leader Friedrich Merz next Tuesday.

AKK / CDU crisis: Interested parties report to the CDU party headquarters - there should be two speculative applications

Update from February 15, 2020, 6.42 a.m .: The first interested parties have already registered for the party chairmanship in the CDU party headquarters . "So far, two unsolicited applications have come from CDU membership ," CDU general secretary Paul Ziemiak told the newspapers of the Funke media group (Saturday). However, the two applicants are not known nationwide. An official application from Friedrich Merz , however, was not known to him, explained Ziemiak.

The former head of the Union faction has so far avoided making a definitive statement in public , but from his immediate surroundings it is said that Merz has decided to run for office. In addition to him, the North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Armin Laschet and Health Minister Jens Spahn are considered promising candidates for the successor of party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

AKK / CDU crisis: Laschet with a clear message to AfD - "There will never be anything like this in NRW"

Update of February 13, 2020, 1:45 p.m .: NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet , who is treated as a possible successor to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in the CDU , expressed a possible government participation of the AfD on Thursday. He ruled out ever ruling with the help of right-wing populists like the AfD. "We do not want any kind of cooperation , collaboration, toleration - also nothing accidental. There will never be anything like this in North Rhine-Westphalia. That is the message, ”he said in a current hour of the Düsseldorf state parliament on the election debacle in Thuringia.

Laschet also accused the AfD of rejoicing that Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the CDU leader in Thuringia, was also losing her office because of her “ making contempt for this trick” in Thuringia “because she put the split mushroom in the democratic institutions”. The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia demands that this should no longer be permitted.

CDU crisis: AKK wants to hold talks with its potential successors

Update from 19:59: The announcement that Friedrich Merz was determined and wanted to stand for election to the CDU party executive caused a lot of attention. The 64-year-old also sees himself as a favorite, knows the party base behind it, it is said from its environment.

Armin Laschet does not allow himself to be lured out of the reserve and refers to the path that has been communicated within the Union . Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , who is still chairman, will hold talks with potential candidates to find a mutually acceptable solution, the German press agency quotes.

Laschet emphasized that, especially after the events in Thuringia, cohesion within the party was important. An amicable personnel debate will be sought.

While the CDU is in its own crisis, Horst Seehofer, senior politician of the sister party CSU, fears that a completely different crisis could possibly happen again. In a conversation with a member of parliament, he is said to have warned of a “second 2015”.

CDU crisis: "Not fundamentally against" - Sudden U-turn at Merz

Update from 16:21: Meanwhile, CDU politician Friedrich Merz, who apparently wants to run for the chair, is no longer too skeptical about a vote of around 400,000 CDU members about the future party chairman. He was "not fundamentally against the participation of party members through a member survey," Merz 'spokesman told the picture . "But the final decision must be made at a federal party conference of the CDU." On Tuesday Merz had rejected a member survey in the CDU:

At the annual reception of the CDU Economic Council Saxony-Anhalt in Magdeburg, Merz had said that he did not think anything of a membership decision like that of the Social Democrats. After all, the CDU has "elected bodies that are there for". According to the plans of the outgoing CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a candidate for chancellor is to be found by summer and confirmed at a federal party conference in December. This person should then also take over the party chairmanship from her.

CDU crisis: SPD with drastic Merkel threat - "With it we will ..."

Update at 12.07 clock: As expected, the response to the CDU earthquake in Germany is massive in the international press. Angela Merkel is described as a "lame duck" and is feared not only for Germany, but for the entire continent - especially with regard to the EU Presidency in the second half of 2020.

Update at 10.45 a.m .: Saxony-Anhalt's interior minister and CDU country chief Holger Stahlknecht sent a clear warning to his party. The CDU should not put off the decision about the federal presidency. Instead, the party needed a timely decision on this personnel issue, "until the summer break."

Update at 10.10 a.m .: While the race for Annegret Kramp-Karrenauber's successor is already in full swing within the CDU, the SPD is now giving its coalition party a clear rejection. SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil excludes the continuation of the grand coalition without Chancellor Angela Merkel . “Angela Merkel is the current chancellor. We went into this coalition with her. And with it, we will also leave this coalition again - regularly at the next election date, ”Klingbeil told the editorial network Germany. And further: “We want to continue working together with the Union in the federal government. This government is elected until autumn 2021. "

After AKK's withdrawal: Klingbeil continues to believe in GroKo - but only with Merkel as Chancellor

After the announced withdrawal of CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , Klingbeil emphasized that it was not a problem for reliable cooperation in the grand coalition that there should be a change in party leadership at the CDU. He remembers experiences in his own party: "We also experienced that in the SPD - and yet we continued to govern well." However, he added: "Whether the CDU is reliable can be seen in its attitude to the right." The CDU must differentiate itself from its internal AfD fan club, the Union of Values * .

He assumed that the Union knew about its responsibility and "now also with the presidency of the EU does not get lost". In the second half of the year, Germany takes over the EU Council Presidency.

Update on February 12, 2020, 8.54 a.m .: Friedrich Merz is one of the most promising candidates for the successor of CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , but the former union group leader does not want to regulate the appointment of the CDU leadership via a membership decision . "I don't think anything of it," clarified Merz on Tuesday evening at the annual reception of the Economic Council of the CDU Saxony-Anhalt in Magdeburg. "We can interview members, but we have bodies to make a decision ," he said.

Will Merz become the AKK successor? He doesn't want a membership decision

In this context, Merz also cited the SPD as a warning example. The comrades had their members determined the new party leadership last year. "Look at the result of the Social Democrats. A process that took months, ”said Merz. "And see what comes out of it. Is that a good role model for the CDU? I strongly advise against it . ”The visitors of the annual reception reacted with laughter.

And not only member surveys, other forms of direct democracy are obviously not very popular with Merz . "You can see what is going to happen in the UK from referendums and the mood of the moment," he said of the Brexit . There was never a majority in the British House of Commons for the British to leave. "Because the MPs were always smart enough to weigh the pros and cons." In addition, incorrect parliamentary decisions were much easier to correct than referendums, said Merz.

Merz comments on the possible successor to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

Update at 9.40 p.m .: The fight for the successor of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the candidature for chancellor has begun. While Laschet still left the question of his candidacy open *, Friedrich Merz , who alongside Armin Laschet, Markus Söder and Jens Spahn * is likely to have the greatest chances, expressed himself publicly in a speech in Magdeburg for the first time after the AKK withdrawal CDU.

In front of the CDU- related Economic Council, the 64-year-old announced that he wanted to make his personal contribution to get the CDU back on the road to success. However, the ex-group leader noted that he does not want to endanger the unity of the Union or the CDU. That reports bild.de.

AKK successor and chancellor candidate of the CDU: Merz wants to achieve "friendly solution"

Merz emphasized that a collegial approach to his party colleagues was important to him and that in case of doubt he would also let other candidates take the lead - as part of a "friendly solution".

Potential Chancellor Candidates - Merz

"I want us to do it in a decent manner. There is always a day after. You have to be able to look into your eyes again and again, ”says the 64-year-old. Merz ran together with Jens Spahn and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer for the CDU chair last year, but in the end had to give up AKK . Now the lawyer probably wants to try again.

Friedrich Merz (CDU) shows a clear edge to the AfD: "Large parts of the party are anti-democratic"

Merz showed a clear edge in his speech, especially in the direction of the AfD . "Large parts of the party are anti-democratic, ethnic, some of them have openly anti-Semitic resentments." The party would play with democracy. Other things apply to a large part of their voters, according to Merz .

The Union's goal in the upcoming election must therefore be to win back not only the Greens, but above all the AfD . "I would not be here today if I did not believe that it was possible to get large parts of these voters back," Merz emphasized his demands.

Söder warns CDU after AKK withdrawal - for the Union it is "all or nothing"

Update at 20.42 clock: The Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU boss Markus Söder has warned the CDU sister party after the resignation of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer of a "total break with the Merkel era". In addition, Söder advocated that Angela Merkel should complete her term of office, which runs until 2021.

AKK successor in the CDU: Markus Söder demands - "defer personal vanities"

An early withdrawal could cause further problems. "That would be wrong. Germany needs a stable government with an internationally respected chancellor, ”said the CSU chief . When it comes to the Chancellor candidate question, the main thing now is to "put personal vanities on the back burner," said Söder in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung .

Söder was considered alongside Armin Laschet , Friedrich Merz and Jens Spahn as one of the possible candidates for a candidature in the coming year. The Bavarian Prime Minister emphasizes that the main thing is to unite the parties. "If you don't manage to hold the CDU together, you won't develop any integration power for Germany." For the Union in the next few months it will be "all or nothing".

I have great respect for @akk's decision - even if I'm sorry. Because we work together very trustingly. But it is now necessary to fundamentally clarify the content and personnel structure of the #CDU.

- Markus Söder (@Markus_Soeder) February 10, 2020

CDU crisis: Chancellor Schröder sharply criticizes Merkel after resignation from AKK

Update at 5:55 p.m .: Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder ( SPD ) has criticized the behavior of his successor Angela Merkel in recent months. She made a "fatal mistake" when she stepped down as CDU chief, but remained chancellor. Merkel had thus brought her party into a difficult situation to control.

The situation would have led to increased discussions and disagreements within the party, "because one did not really know who was in charge, the chancellor or the chairwoman". That's what Angela Merkel's predecessor told Media Pioneer .

CDU crisis: survey shows opportunities for potential candidates for chancellor - one is far behind

Update at 4.30 p.m .: With the announced resignation of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer , the CDU stands without chancellor candidates almost 1.5 years before the next federal election. Will AKK's successor as chairman of the People's Party also claim the chancellor's candidacy, or even Markus Söder as CSU boss will throw his hat in the ring.

A poll by Wahlkreisprognose.de now shows for the first time after the resignation of the CDU chief who the members of the party would support. That reports welt.de. The result of the survey, in which 713 members of the CDU and CSU took part, shows a three-way battle at the top. Prime Minister Armin Laschet from North Rhine-Westphalia, CSU chief Markus Söder and ex-union faction leader Friedrich Merz are equally favored by party members. In the poll, the candidates each received 26, 25 and 24 percent of the votes. If you include the error tolerance of the survey, there is a tie.

Only all Federal Minister of Health Jens Spahn is far behind in the survey. Only eleven percent of the members trust the 39-year-old to run as chancellor .

CDU crisis after AKK resignation: party leadership probably wants to prevent Friedrich Merz

Update at 13:36: After AKK's resignation, party colleague Friedrich Merz is treated as a possible candidate for her successor. But the federal CDU apparently wants to prevent this , according to a report by Bild.de. Talks are currently being held in Berlin to prevent Merz from running for the CDU party chair. Instead, he wanted to give him a role other than that of the party leader, Bild.de said. In the past, Merz was already being discussed as a possible Minister of Economy . However, it is not yet known whether this office will also be discussed during the current deliberations. The CDU apparently sees NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet as a favorite for AKKS's successor.

Update at 12.33 p.m .: After SPD leader Walter-Borjans indicated bad news for the continued existence of the GroKo in the event of a change of chancellor, criticism is now also coming from the ranks of the CSU . CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt obviously doesn't think much of AKK's plan for the personnel reorganization of the CDU. He was "absurd," said Dobrindt. And further: The plan to name the candidate for chancellor only in the summer and to elect the new party leader at the party congress in December is "not a schedule that has a chance of being implemented". He now calls for an acceleration in clarifying the CDU's personnel issues.

Meanwhile, experts suspect that the Thuringian election scandal was no mere accident *. The next developments will probably show whether it is really a card game.

CDU crisis: SPD leader Walter-Borjans with bad news for GroKo

Update at 10:22: whether the SPD would support its coalition partner CDU / CSU in the event of an early change of chancellor is extremely questionable. SPD boss Norbert Walter-Borjans said in a conversation with Deutschlandfunk on Tuesday that the SPD had always "made it very clear" that it had entered into the grand coalition "with a chancellor Angela Merkel". If Merkel gave up the chancellorship during this legislative period "Then we would certainly have a situation in which there was a lot to think about and a lot to talk about".

When asked whether the continued existence of the grand coalition would also be up for debate , the SPD leader said: "For the debate, of course, because it is about content, because it is also about trust." He is still "very skeptical, that what needs to be done in this country can be easily achieved in the long term with the grand coalition ".

CDU crisis: SPD leader Walter-Borjans does not see GroKo at risk in the short term

In the short term, he doesn't see the coalition at risk : "But I'm also a realist," said Walter-Borjans. "We have a foundation that is in this government with Chancellor Anngela Merkel."

The head of “Today's Journal” at ZDF also spoke about the Chancellor on Monday. In a comment, he made a grim forecast for the CDU and massively criticized Merkel. Instead, “Hard but fair” got FDP boss Christian Lindner caught in the crossfire of the guests. And the selection of the talk guests themselves caused outrage.

Update from February 11, 7:43 p.m .: Developments in Thuringia were probably the tip of the iceberg for the CDU chairwoman: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) pulled the handbrake. With her announcement that she did not want to run for the Union as Chancellor candidate , the Minister of Defense also indirectly gave up the CDU executive chair - because that is not only the traditional CDU credo, but also Kramp-Karrenbauer's reason for her decision: Chair and position as Chancellor lie in one hand to create clear power relations.

The Great Koalitoin does not falter, finds Kramp-Karrenbauer and she receives support from Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz . But not all coalition partners see the Groko in such a stable position. On Monday evening, SPD chairman Norbert Walter-Borjans had made it clear that the Union would be able to cope with a leadership search, but not a split.

Vice Chancellor Scholz on CDU crisis: "Grand coalition will do its job"

Update of February 10, 9:10 p.m .: Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz sees the announced withdrawal of CDU leader Kramp-Karrenbauer as no threat to the continued existence of the coalition. “The grand coalition will do its job. It is obliged to do this, ”said Scholz on Monday evening in an ARD focus . Even in previous coalitions, there had been changes in party leaders who "accompanied" government work.

"That doesn't have to stop you from doing your job properly," added the SPD politician. When asked whether stable government work was possible with a CDU until possibly by the end of the year, Scholz said: "I am convinced of that."

The Vice Chancellor also sees no danger of a possible shift to the right by the CDU after the controversial Prime Minister election in Thuringia.

ARD focus on CDU earthquake: why did AKK pull the handbrake?

Update from February 10, 8:46 pm: Why did AKK pull the handbrake? And how will the CDU continue until December? In an ARD hotspot , Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer commented on her withdrawal from the CDU party leadership in a special program.

"But for this legislative period we have agreed that the Merkel government will remain chancellor and we have always said that we want to bring this legislative period to an end," said Kramp-Karrenbauer on Monday evening.

"Wants to be part of the solution and not part of a problem", Annegret #KrampKarrenbauer in the #Focal point of the ARD.

- Nina Barth (@ninabarth_hsb) February 10, 2020

AKK made it clear that it does not see itself under time pressure when it comes to finding a candidate for the Union chancellor. CSU chief Markus Söder had warned of a months-long personnel debate *. "There cannot be any personnel discussions now for three quarters of a year," said Söder at a reception by the state government in Nuremberg on Monday evening. "That paralyzes the political process," he warned.

Kramp-Karrenbauer said on ARD that the situation on Sunday had “changed relatively little”. “Because we also said there that we want to control this process into autumn and into winter. And the only difference was that I was still there as a candidate for the Chancellery. And now I have more freedom to control this process, so to speak. ”

CDU quake: Talks about AKK succession in progress - Insider reveals internal favorites

Kramp-Karrenbauer announces resignation as CDU boss

When asked whether the AfD had brought her down with the state election in Thuringia, she said: "No, not at all. I am a party leader who is currently still in office. "

In her statement to the CDU Presidium, Kramp-Karrenbauer also referred to the events in Thuringia. According to participants, she complained that there was "an unsettled relationship between parts of the CDU with AfD and the left." In the evening, the CDU head of the ARD then emphasized that these were "individual voices", such as the "so-called union of values *". For the majority of the CDU, it is very clear that "there is no wobbling to the right, no cooperation, no direct and no indirect".

I am afraid the ARD can now broadcast a focal point almost every evening ... # AKKRuecklassung

- Alexander Hinz (@hinz_ah) February 10, 2020

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer retires: Secret Laschet-Spahn plan

Update from February 10, 7:27 p.m .: Is everything going really fast now? In the morning, AKK had announced their resignation as party leader and their resignation from the chancellor's candidacy - and in the evening there should already be talks between a trio, one of whom is to succeed Kramp-Karrenbauer.

According to Focus Online, talks are currently underway in the CDU with the aim of appointing a clear successor to AKK: the trio is NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet, Minister of Health Jens Spahn and Friedrich Merz - one of the three should be the future Lead CDU.

Focus Online quotes an insider: "What is going on is too dangerous for the party, we have to keep the shop together." The CDU is very concerned about an erosion process.

The new strong men of the CDU? Laschet (center), Spahn (left) and Merz.

Accordingly, Laschet should lead the party in the future, Spahn would take the chair of the parliamentary group and Merz would have to “line up” - albeit with the prospect of an important ministerial office.

In the next few days, Kramp-Karrenbauer and CSU chairman Markus Söder should sit down and coordinate the further procedure. "Nobody believes that this process will actually take until December," continues a CDU strategist at Focus Online .

CDU quake: Laschet calls CDU for unity - is he aiming for the party leadership?

Update from February 10, 5.48 p.m .:

After party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's announcement of withdrawal, NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet called on the CDU to close. The "cohesion of the Union" is the "first basis for successful elections and effective governance," said Laschet on Monday in Düsseldorf. Laschet warned that the CDU must take the entire “programmatic breadth” into account in the forthcoming realignment.

Together with the associations, the regional associations and the sister party CSU, a "convincing offer" must be developed in the coming months.

The CDU has been "a reliable anchor for a defensive democracy, a citizen-friendly policy, cosmopolitan attitudes and Germany's European orientation for decades," said Laschet. "It must and will remain so."

After the withdrawal of #krampkarrenbauer, there will be no shortage of applicants, says @TheoKoll about #akkrueckstieg #Laschet #Merz #Spahn pic.twitter.com/mW5hbB0cT5

- ZDF today (@ZDFheute) February 10, 2020

The events in Thuringia would have stirred up a lot of people in our country, ”he continued. "Our democratic institutions now have to prove themselves in a special way, especially the parties of the democratic spectrum."

Laschet did not comment in the statement on the question of whether he would pursue Chancellor candidacy and party chairmanship after Kramp-Karrenbauer's withdrawal. The CDU generally expects Laschet to be interested in these positions. Other contenders are former Union faction leader Friedrich Merz and health minister Jens Spahn.

CDU quake: Are there already talks about AKK succession? Trio around Merz should agree

Update of February 10, 5:28 pm: The fact that Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (CDU) does not want to run as candidate for chancellor is welcomed by a large majority of Germans (77 percent). This results from a flash survey of the RTL / ntv trend barometer. Accordingly, most of them now want Friedrich Merz as a Union candidate.

According to this, 27 percent of the respondents consider Friedrich Merz to be the most suitable. 18 percent put this trust in the NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet .

The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder , on the other hand, only has eleven percent, Health Minister Jens Spahn eight. Merz receives support from its own ranks and from the FDP camp, but most strongly from the AfD. For example, 35 percent of CDU voters, 38 percent of FDP voters and 39 percent of AfD voters spoke in favor of Merz.

Approval for Armin Laschet comes from the SPD (28 percent) and the Greens (27 percent). Markus Söder (CSU) can rely on support from Bavaria - there he gets 22 percent approval.

In terms of AKK succession, current poll values show a clear favorite among voters. "The CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is giving back an office that she never really owned," said Georg Anastasiadis, editor-in-chief of Munich's Mercury *, in a comment on the AKK's resignation.

CDU quake: AKK declares its renunciation of chancellor candidacy - Merkel has only a few words left for it

Update from February 10, 4:23 p.m .: After Monday morning only small pieces of information about Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's resignation from the CDU presidium from the CDU presidium had been made public, the deputy CDU chairwoman Julia Klöckner now expresses herself. "There was a moment's rest in the Presidium this morning," she replied to a request from Focus.de .

Merkel and AKK

The party leader is said to have confidently announced her decision. She had announced that she would "not run as Chancellor candidate and then no longer chair the party". The chairman thus created a “piece of freedom to organize the process of finding a candidate for the Chancellery independently and without ambiguity”.

Klöckner now sees the most important task in the search for a candidate for chancellor . The country had done well "with the policies of the Union, with moderation and moderation, with common sense", said Klöckner. Then, according to Focus.de , she once again emphasizes the motto that Kramp-Karrenbauer had tried to shape before the Thuringia election: "For us it is and remains clear: No cooperation with the AfD, not even with the left."

Apparently the Thuringian CDU is not quite of the same opinion. Shortly after Kramp-Karrenbauer's shock message, the Thuringian CDU shook the incompatibility decision.

CDU quake: AKK declares waiver of chancellor candidacy - Merkel has only a few words left for it

Update of February 10, 4:05 p.m .: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) thanks her party colleague Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer . In the press conference, Merkel speaks of her protégé only with her first name. Together with "Annegret" she wants to dedicate herself to the nomination of a candidate for chancellor of the Union. "I thank her for being ready to accompany the process of running for office as chancellor," said Merkel on the sidelines of a press conference with Hungarian President Viktor Orbán. Nevertheless, the Chancellor has been extremely short. Her statement was sober in Merkel's manner, but so short that disappointment can be heard.

Just like after the debacle in Thuringia, it is Chancellor Angela Merkel again who takes the lead in the CDU and finds the final words.

CDU quake: AKK declares its renunciation of chancellor candidacy - is Angela Merkel to blame?

Update of February 10, 2:27 p.m .: CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has described the separation of the chancellorship and party chairmanship as a weakening of the party. “We have to be strong - stronger than today. It is a task for all of us, ”but this task of overcoming the internal divisions is a special one for the party leadership, says Kramp-Karrenbauer. The chairman takes responsibility for the difficult situation in the CDU. At least it seems that way.

Nevertheless, the CDU chairperson does not primarily attribute her surprising waiver to her problematic term of office. Rather, Angela Merkel's resignation of the party chair had created an extraordinary situation in which the question of power had not been clearly resolved. Traditionally, it was better if party presidency and chancellor posts in the Union remained in one hand, said Kramp-Karrenbauer.

Kramp-Karrenbauer: renouncement of chancellor and CDU chair

Like Angela Merkel , when she gave up party chairmanship, Kramp-Karrenbauer wants to play a pioneering role in the process of finding the party and a new candidate for chancellor in the coming months. For this, she remains chairperson for the time being.

Kramp-Karrenbauer assesses the impact of their waiver of the chancellor candidacy on the grand coalition as rather minor. "If I have my way, it has no effect on the stability of the grand coalition," said Kramp-Karrenbauer on Monday after consulting the top bodies of her party in Berlin. She pointed out that she was still party leader "and will remain so for the foreseeable future". She will work for the continuation of the coalition.

Kramp-Karrenbauer did not set an appointment for her resignation as CDU leader . First she wanted to steer the free program of a candidate for chancellor of the Union and recommended that the candidate then be given the party chairmanship. The separation of the CDU chairmanship and chancellery or chancellor candidacy had not proven successful.

CDU quake: AKK now announces its withdrawal in the livestream - is Angela Merkel to blame?

Update from February 10, 1:55 pm: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has announced that she will publicly comment on her surprising resignation. Even before she steps in front of the cameras, possible successors are presented. Old acquaintances vie for the chancellor's candidacy for the Union.

Update from February 10, 1:51 p.m .: After the announcement by CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a debate has flared up in the CDU board about the demarcation from the AfD and the Left Party. According to participants, CDU general secretary Paul Ziemiak reacted with harsh criticism on Monday to statements by Schleswig-Holstein's Prime Minister Daniel Günther (CDU), who at the weekend had declared tolerance of governments with the participation of the Left Party by the CDU possible. Ziemiak countered Günther that the CDU must be a "bulwark against the left and right," the party said.

The relationship to the right-wing conservative union of values was also discussed in the Executive Board. Hesse's interior minister Peter Beuth (CDU) criticized the union of values as "separatists and sectarians", participants said. Kramp-Karrenbauer had justified her withdrawal, among other things, by the fact that "there is an unsettled relationship between parts of the CDU with AfD and leftists".

The Union of Values sees itself as a “conservative grassroots movement in the CDU / CSU”. It argues that the CDU under Chancellor Angela Merkel and Kramp-Karrenbauer has moved too far to the left and must again take more conservative positions. It operates as a registered association and counts not to the official party structures. Contrary to the CDU resolution, the value union does not fundamentally exclude cooperation between the CDU and AfD.

The Union of Values has been a thorn in the side of the CDU leadership for months. After the events surrounding the election of the prime minister in Thuringia, calls have been made in the CDU in recent days for the Federal Party to take a harder line against the Union of Values - for example in the form of an incompatibility decision.

Kramp-Karrenbauer: renouncement of chancellor and CDU chair

CDU quake: AKK announces its withdrawal - crack goes through the party - Merkel reacts

Update of February 10, 11:54 a.m .: After the prime minister election in Thuringia , a rift within the CDU seems to be revealed, which was believed to be closed after CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer asked the question of power in December. As soon as the party leader announces her resignation, the conservative union of values also announces itself . The chairman Alexander Mitsch welcomed the resignation of his party leader. "I find it very commendable that she is putting her own career plans on the back burner and not insisting on this candidacy for political reasons, but is paving the way for a solution that is promising for the Union," said Mitsch on Monday. The CDU now has the opportunity to reposition itself and integrate all trends.

"It would be important that the year-long left-wing course of the previous chairwoman Merkel is now corrected sustainably," said Mitsch, thereby confirming fears from the left, the SPD and the CDU: With Kramp-Karrenbauer's resignation, the CDU is in danger of experiencing a shift to the right.

Mitsch meanwhile urges a quick decision on the Chancellor question and brings Friedrich Merz (CDU) on the scene. Members should also be involved, for example through a member survey, or at least through introductory rounds of the candidates. "We believe that Friedrich Merz would be an excellent candidate for Chancellor," said Mitsch. He has great expertise, can give the Union a clear political profile and win back conservatives and business liberals.

The Union of Values sees itself as representing the conservative current in the Union , but is not an official party structure . According to Mitsch, it has more than 4,000 members. Mitsch has been campaigning for a more conservative course in the CDU, for a renewal at the party leadership and Merz as candidate for chancellor. Recently, several CDU politicians had spoken in favor of pushing the Union of Values out of the party with the votes of the AfD because of their support for the controversial election of Thuringian Prime Minister Thomas Kemmerich (FDP). The Vice-Chief of the Christian Democratic Workers' Union (CDA), Christian Bäumler, spoke of an "AfD auxiliary force in our ranks".

CDU quake: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announces radical withdrawal - Merkel reacts

Update from February 10, 11:39: The reactions are not long in coming. After the shock news from the CDU presidium about Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's planned withdrawal from the party chair, her party colleague and arch-rival Friedrich Merz, so to speak, behaves remarkably calmly. Not so ex-vice chancellor and SPD boss Sigmar Gabriel . The future Deutsche Bank supervisory board member sees the CDU in a crisis that could lead to the end of the grand coalition. Kramp-Karrenbauer's withdrawal is “the logical consequence that she couldn't even prevail in the Thuringian CDU . No AKK representative jumped at her side. Merkel herself had to clarify the central questions of the Thuringia complex. "

Paul Ziemiak (from left), General Secretary of the CDU, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Federal Chair of the CDU and Minister of Defense, and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) sit next to each other during a meeting of the CDU Executive Board in the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus.

Gabriel continues: “We are witnessing the end of the second major People's Party in Germany: after the SPD, the CDU is also no longer able to keep the tension within its party. The wings drift apart too much. At the same time, the federal government has been paralyzed for the second time in a short time after the SPD candidate competition. I suspect it won't be long before there will be new elections. "

Update from February 10, 10.50 a.m .: CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer throws in the towel. And that after only 14 months in office. During her entire, albeit short term, Kramp-Karrenbauer did not manage to establish herself as CDU chair. On the contrary: Your term in office is characterized by electoral slumps, polls and critical statements that provoked outrage among the population. The debacle over the Prime Minister election in Thuringia then revealed the extent of their loss of authority.

CDU quake after Thuringia disaster: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer plans radical retreat - now Merkel reacts

Update of February 10, 10.12 a.m .: After the radical decision by CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer not only not to run for the chancellor candidacy, but also to give up the party chairmanship, the party headquarters remains unusually quiet. Even more: a long silence begins. None of the party colleagues in the CDU presidium has yet thrown his hat into the ring.

The North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister and CDU Vice Armin Laschet , who has long been considered a possible candidate for Chancellor and leads the largest CDU state association, was not present. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), on the other hand, made a quick statement: she would like to keep Kramp-Karrenbauer as the Federal Minister of Defense.

Update of February 10, 9:39 am: CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has decided against running for office as chancellor and will also hand over the party chairmanship. Kramp-Karrenbauer announced this on Monday in the CDU Presidium, a CDU spokesman in Berlin said.

AKK: "Unclear relationship between parts of the CDU with AfD and leftists"

Kramp-Karrenbauer said in the CDU presidium that there was "an unexplained relationship between parts of the CDU with AfD and leftists". The CDU chairman alludes bluntly to the disastrous Prime Minister election in Thuringia *. She was strictly against cooperation with AfD and Linker *. Kramp-Karrenbauer had also formulated this attitude as a guideline for action to the CDU state representations. In the interests of the group, so to speak, the Thuringian CDU had voted for Thomas Kemmerich * (FDP) as prime minister last week so as not to support the leftist candidate, Bodo Ramelow *.

The difficult distribution of votes in Thuringia *, which allowed a maximum of one minority government *, escalated when the AfD under Björn Höcke voted for Kemmerich. Höcke declared himself kingmaker. This sparked outrage across the Republic.

Since the election in Thuringia strongly gave the impression that the AfD, CDU and FDP had been agreed, the CDU also had to face massive criticism. Before Kramp-Karrenbauer's radical decision, Thuringian CDU chief Mike Mohring * should step down - more or less voluntarily.

In addition, it is obvious that the party presidency and candidacy for chancellor belong in one hand.

CDU boss Kramp-Karrenbauer takes a radical farewell

In the summer , she said she would organize the process of running for office as chancellor , prepare the party for the future, and then hand over the party chairmanship. Kramp-Karrenbauer wanted to provide details at a press conference at noon.

After Thuringia disaster: AKK plans radical farewell - now Chancellor Angela Merkel is speaking

First report from February 10th:

Berlin - The CDU chairwoman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer does not want to become candidate for chancellor of the Union and give up the CDU chairmanship in the foreseeable future. She wanted "to organize the process of being chancellor in the summer, to prepare the party for the future and then to hand over the party chair", CDU circles said on Monday. Kramp-Karrenbauer said accordingly in the CDU Presidium.

* Merkur.de is part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.

nai / dpa / afp

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-02-18