Chaos days of the CDU: AKK did not know about Laschet / Spahn alliance

Who will be at the top of the CDU in the future should decide at a special party conference on April 25th. Merz had previously rejected an offer from AKK.

• The CDU government crisis is omnipresent even weeks after the political earthquake in Thuringia.
• A special party conference is to clarify who will be Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer's successor.
• AKK had another position in mind for Friedrich Merz - but the ex-Union faction leader rejected this.

9:56 pm:

Still-CDU leader

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer

was not in advance about the alliance of

Armin Laschet

With

Jens Spahn

in the race for the

party leadership

informed. She only found out about it from the press, she admitted on Tuesday evening in the ZDF program "Markus Lanz" (recording / broadcast at 10.50 pm) in Hamburg. However, she was not surprised that North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Laschet and Federal Health Minister Spahn form a team.

In the confidential discussions that she had had with all possible candidates over the past few days, it had become clear that it was all about team solutions. It is important that the different currents in the party are brought together, said the outgoing federal chairwoman.

Armin Laschet: "I have an idea what a chancellorship could look like"

7:05 p.m .: Armin Laschet, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, has declared his general willingness to stand as chancellor - provided he is elected CDU leader and the CSU agrees. The question will be discussed with the CSU, emphasized the candidate for the CDU chairman on Tuesday in the ZDF program "What now, Mr. Laschet". He added: “But in principle I'm ready to do that. I have an idea of ​​what a chancellorship could look like. ”Ultimately, the voters would decide.

Laschet emphasized that with NRW he ruled an industrial country with 18 million inhabitants, where many of the social conflicts throughout Germany were represented. He was dealing with a lot of topics that would also concern a future chancellor. Laschet cited as examples the ecology, the coal phase-out or the energy-intensive industries as well as the large economic sectors that Germany needed if it wanted to remain an industrial country.

CDU chaos: Markus Söder emphasizes the role of the CSU in the question of candidate for chancellor

18:35: Markus Söder has underlined the role of the CSU in the question of a common candidate for chancellor of the Union. The CSU will not interfere in the fight vote for the CDU chairmanship. "The CDU has to decide for itself," said Söder of the Passauer Neue Presse and the Ingolstadt Danube courier . With regard to the question of the candidate for chancellor and the election program of the Union, however, it must be clear: "Without the CSU , no candidate for chancellor can become."

To the candidates for the CDU chairmanship - Friedrich Merz, Armin Laschet and Norbert Röttgen - he said: "I know everyone very well and can work with everyone." The CDU and CSU are sister parties. "And the party family has to stick together."

Söder warned the Union not to lose its leadership right after the general election. “The coming year will be nothing less than the question of who will be number one in Germany in the future. For the first time in post-war history, this is not decided between the Union and the SPD, but between the Union and the Greens, ”said the CSU chief.

Meanwhile, Söder's Vice Prime Minister Hubert Aiwanger criticized the German government in an interview with Munich's Merkur *.

Chaos days at the CDU: AKK does not want to be Merkel's "Date Doctor"

6.30 p.m .: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Friedrich Merz, Armin Laschet and Jens Spahn could also deliver new headlines tomorrow - all four CDU politicians are on political Ash Wednesday.

4:05 p.m .: Noch-CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has rejected speculation that the reorganization in the party could mean Angela Merkel's out as chancellor . "As far as this legislative period is concerned, the separation of party chairmanship and chancellorship is a fact," said Kramp-Karrenbauer to the mirror . “There was no vote on Monday in the Presidium and the Federal Executive Board that would have seen it differently. On the contrary: There was, without exception, the expectation that in the current constellation we would be responsible until the end of the legislative period. So with Angela Merkel as Chancellor. "

Kramp-Karrenbauer defends Merkel - but sounds annoyed: "I'm not the Date Doctor"

Kramp-Karrenbauer emphasized that she herself was "at peace" with Merkel. The participants would have to decide whether the applicants for the CDU chairmanship and Merkel should speak to each other. "I am not the Date Doctor between the Union and the Chancellery. We are all grown up. "

The outgoing CDU chairwoman campaigned for the involvement of Friedrich Merz . When asked whether the 64-year-old should move into the federal cabinet, she said: "I have always made it very clear that Friedrich Merz embodies for me a part of this party that is important and belongs to the breadth of the CDU. That is why I have always offered to work with me. And I still think it makes sense to involve them. ”However,“ the Chancellor decides on cabinet issues in consultation with the party ”.

Kramp-Karrenbauer clearly resisted the interference of the CSU in the personnel matters of the CDU . “A few weeks ago, it was said that we now need a cabinet reshuffle quickly, and then the question of the candidacy for chancellor should also be clarified quickly. Now it is suddenly said that the candidate question can only be resolved at the end of this year or even next year. There can be a certain lack of understanding. ” CSU General Secretary Markus Blume had criticized the actions of the sister party on Monday at the request of Munich's Merkur *.

CDU chaos: Spahn gives Merz one - SMS leaked

15.55: Just recently, Minister of Health Jens Spahn surprised with his announcement that he would not run for the party chairmanship and instead support NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet . In the event of success, he would assume the post of deputy.

Even before he went to the press with the news, he is said to have already announced this in a secret SMS, as the picture (behind the payment barrier) reports. And according to the newspaper, it should have it in some places.

“Good morning, I will be at the federal press conference with Armin at 9:30 am today to present ourselves as a duo. He is party chairman and candidate for chancellor, I deputy party chairman and 'second strong man', ”according to the report, his message should have started.

CDU: Jens Spahn is said to have sent secret SMS - that's why he doesn't support Friedrich Merz

The decision was difficult for him, but “now it's about the unity of our party. It's about whether we still have chancellors in this country, ”wrote Spahn. The CDU politician should then have answered the question of why he did not want to form a team with Merz : "Because that would not be a team that complements one another to map out the unity, the middle and the breadth of the party." In my opinion, it was a good addition as a team, but "As number one, the risks with FM are significantly greater than any short-term gain among its fans".

If the news is true, it could be seen as an indirect allegation against Merz. But what exactly Spahn meant by the news, he could soon explain in more detail, according to the information in the newspaper.

12.40 p.m .: CDU politician Friedrich Merz apparently turned down a post in the federal cabinet on Monday . Bild.de reports, citing CDU party circles. Accordingly, CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer Merz offered the ministerial post on Monday before the Presidium meeting, but the ex-Union parliamentary group leader rejected it in a telephone conversation.

The exciting question is whether Chancellor Angela Merkel knew about this offer. Because if Merz had agreed, Merkel would have had to approve the whole thing. As Bild.de reports, the deputy federal chairmen had agreed at a meeting on Monday in front of the presidium to have Merz act as minister against Merkel if he wanted to go to the cabinet.

Background: This would have cleared the way for the duo Laschet / Spahn in the end. Now it is likely that the two will fight against Merz and Röttgen. The election will take place in late April.

CDU: race for chair picks up speed - Röttgen wants female support

10.42 a.m .: While Armin Laschet and Jens Spahn want to run for election as the new leadership duo at the top of the CDU, Norbert Röttgen also announces who will support him if he is elected CDU leader. Röttgen wants to run for a party chair with a woman in his team. He announced this on Tuesday during the press conference of his competitor Armin Laschet on Twitter.

Röttgen initially left open who exactly the woman will be. "Women are at the forefront of the CDU," said Röttgen on the Phoenix TV station. "If the CDU wants to be a center party, it is not enough to just say so," he added.

The second person on my team will be a woman. #CDU

CDU: Big news from Laschet and Spahn - they want to become the new management duo

Update from February 25, 2020 at 8.17 a.m .: Next hit in the CDU! Prime Minister Armin Laschet from North Rhine-Westphalia is also running for the post, the German press agency in Berlin learned on Tuesday from party circles. Laschet briefly invited to a press conference for 9.30 a.m., together with Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU).

Spahn, on the other hand, is not running for the CDU chairmanship. According to dpa information from the North Rhine-Westphalian CDU, Laschet wants to propose him as deputy if he is elected party leader.

Previously, CDU foreign policy politician Norbert Röttgen announced his candidacy last week. In the morning, former Union faction leader Friedrich Merz also wanted to declare that he was running, as the German Press Agency learned on Monday from party circles.

CDU: Merz has not yet commented on his possible candidacy on Monday evening

8:44 pm: Former Union faction leader Friedrich Merz did not comment on a candidacy for the CDU federal presidency when he appeared in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. He only wanted to "make a contribution" to mastering the challenges of the next few years, he confirmed on Monday evening in front of around 170 guests at the CDU herring dinner in Ueckermünde.

Merz described the Hamburg election result as a “disaster” for the CDU. Now the right analysis is important. This means that the Greens are probably the main opponent of the CDU in the next general election. "And I'm looking forward to it," said the 64-year-old.

Merz also advocated "early elections" in Thuringia. The CDU had made a huge mistake there, he said with a view to the election of the FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich to the prime minister. "But we stand together."

CDU: First reactions to Friedrich Merz's candidacy

8:15 p.m .: Friedrich Merz will probably be the next official applicant for the position as CDU chief , that seems clear since Monday evening. Less than two hours after the information leaked, Merz spoke up with a programmatic posting on Twitter - and quickly met with fierce criticism.

"The CDU must be the party of law and order and the rule of law. Law-free spaces and clan structures must not exist anywhere, ”Merz had an employee spread through the short message service. Where such structures exist, they would have to be "consistently broken up, no matter how much protest that triggers", the post went on to say. A clear statement for "law and order". However, no concrete context became apparent.

Video: Markus Söder in surveys on Merz's heels

This is exactly what Juso boss and SPD vice Kevin Kühnert took as an occasion for criticism of Merz - and of his competitor Norbert Röttgen. Shortly after the scandal election of Thuringia and a few days after the Hanau attack, the CDU chose "clan structures" and the "Venezuela relationship of the left as issues to be discussed urgently," he complains. "It can be a cheerful competition."

Three weeks after # Thuringia and a few days after #Hanau, the #CDU chooses "clan structures" (#Merz) and the Venezuelan relationship of the left (# Röttgen) as urgent topics to be discussed. It can be a cheerful competition. https://t.co/SJZNd3qHbm

18:34: The CDU politician Friedrich Merz wants to comment on Tuesday on his plans for a candidacy for the CDU chairmanship. In the federal press conference in Berlin he wants to speak at 11:00 a.m. about the "candidacy for the CDU chair", as it was announced on Monday evening in the announcement. The former Union faction leader is expected to reapply for party chairmanship.

CSU does not want to support the CDU's plan for early clarification of the K question

6:26 pm: The CSU does not want to support the CDU's plan for an early commitment to a candidate for chancellor. CSU general secretary Markus Blume pleaded in the "Münchner Merkur *" (Tuesday edition) that the joint candidate for chancellor of the Union parties should not be announced until next year. Regarding the sister party's plans, he said that "it is good that the CDU has a clear road map for how it wants to get a new party chairman. Other questions - especially regarding the candidate for chancellor - do not involve it ."

With this, the CSU general secretary reacted to statements by CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer . The latter announced on Monday that the new party leader would be elected at a party conference on April 25 - and that the election of the new CDU chairman would then be a "very clear prejudice for the chancellor candidate".

In contrast to the question of the CDU chairmanship, the designation of the candidate for chancellor of the Union is decided jointly by the CDU and CSU - the Bavarian sister party has a say in this. The general secretary, Blume, now warned the CDU: "The timing is important - and that is definitely not this year anymore."

Merz is probably officially running for CDU presidency

6:19 p.m .: Former Union faction leader Friedrich Merz now wants to officially run for the CDU chairmanship. Dpa found out about this on Monday from party circles. Previously, the federal press conference had invited to a press conference for Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. under the title "On the candidacy for the CDU chairmanship".

CDU chair: clear announcements by Spahn and Laschet on Thursday?

4.10 p.m .: The question of who is applying for the CDU chairmanship remains exciting. Also at the press conference on Monday afternoon, AKK made no specific statements as to whether the favorites Friedrich Merz, Armin Laschet and Jens Spahn will officially run. But a preliminary decision could be made on Thursday in this matter. Because then the top CDU politicians from North Rhine-Westphalia come together for their board meeting, writes focus.de . Observers expect both Spahn and Laschet to indicate at this meeting whether they want to run. According to a survey, however, a completely different candidate is in the lead for the CDU presidency.

CDU crisis: CSU is angry about AKK's statements on CDU chairmanship and chancellor candidacy

3:40 pm: With her statements about the upcoming election of her successor and the associated “signal effect” for the chancellor candidacy , CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer angered the sister party CSU . This procedure was "not agreed upon" and one was "very surprised" about it, it said on Monday from the CSU top in Munich. The Christian Socialists would firmly assume that the search for the joint candidate for chancellor, as in the past, would be the responsibility of the party leaders of the CDU and CSU, who would then be in office.

2:50 p.m .: Following the CDU press conference, SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil spoke about the allegations made by Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. "I obviously played a bigger role at this conference," he said. In addition, he asked himself whether he shouldn't have been louder than it became clear that the Union was considering working with the AfD , reports focus.de . He also called for a clear demarcation from the AfD not only to be propagated by Kramp-Karrenbauer, but also to be lived in the national associations.

CDU crisis: strategies of CDU candidates "shock" Greens boss Annalena Baerbrock

2:47 p.m .: Annnena Baerbock , head of the Greens, also addressed the CDU leadership crisis in the press conference on Monday after the election in Hamburg. The differences in the strategies of the candidates "horrify me," said Baerbock. Why is the debate about the CDU presidency in the interests of the Greens at all? Because trust "in politics and political parties was not the best in the past few years." Politics must stabilize and give direction. But the CDU candidates showed no clear direction of the CDU . That is particularly "dramatic", Baerbock continues, because "after the attack in Hanau " people in the middle of us "are afraid and waiting for a political answer.

CDU crisis: AKK shoots against SPD general secretary Klingbeil - "conscious defamation"

2:36 p.m .: In addition to the agenda for the planned special party conference on April 25, CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer addressed the press conference following the Executive Board meeting after statements by SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil that there was an unclear relationship between the CDU and AfD . "We have a very clear stance: There is no cooperation with the AfD, " said AKK. Then she took a verbal blow to the cleaver . "SPD general secretary has been running a dirt campaign against the CDU for a year," she criticized.

CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer at the press conference after the presidium meeting.

© AFP / ODD ANDERSEN

"He has been standing for months and claims that there is a problem with the CDU with the demarcation from the AfD." If he has this view, he must ask his party to leave the grand coalition , said AKK. However, he has not yet done so. Klingbeils statements that the CDU would not distinguish itself clearly enough from the AfD, the CDU leader can only be seen as " deliberate defamation and dirt campaign".

2.20 p.m .: CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced at the press conference on Monday afternoon that the potential candidates for her successor, Friedrich Merz, Armin Laschet and Jens Spahn, would like to say "quickly this week" whether they would like to join the CDU - Preside as a candidate. Because so far only Norbert Röttgen has officially announced his candidacy for the CDU chairmanship. "The declared and potential applicants with whom I spoke spoke very clearly in a personal conversation with me that they would respect any result of the party conference ," said AKK. Regardless of the outcome of the special party congress, they will continue to make a visible contribution to the CDU's future work.

CDU crisis: new CDU chief is also to become candidate for chancellor

2:07 p.m .: At the press conference following the CDU presidium meeting on Monday morning, outgoing CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer informed about the latest developments in the search for her successor. As previously announced, she explained that a new CDU chair should be elected at a one-day special party conference on April 25 in Berlin . "For us, this is also a clear signal for the candidate for chancellor, " she continued. In addition, any vacant positions on the CDU federal executive board and in the executive committee are to be filled at the party conference on April 25. The election of the entire Presidium and Board of Directors should only take place at the regular CDU party conference in December.

Update at 1:47 p.m .: The press conference of CDU chief Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Hamburg's top candidate Marcus Weinberg is apparently delayed. It was originally scheduled for 1.30 p.m. following the CDU Presidium meeting, but so far the two politicians have not yet appeared before the press. Meanwhile, it was said from groups of participants in Berlin that NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet had once again campaigned in his party to find a team line-up in the new election to the party leadership.

Read also: The international press is ruthless about the government chaos in Berlin.

CDU crisis: Laschet considers the situation to be "serious" and emphasizes the importance of personal discussions

Laschet further emphasized that the situation of the CDU was serious and that it was right in this situation to take the time for personal talks and do everything possible to get a team line-up. The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia also recalled that this was also decisive for the election victory in 2017 in the line-up of the North Rhine-Westphalian CDU together with Karl-Josef Laumann from the workers' wing after the devastating electoral defeat in 2012. Laschet had a lot of approval for his statements at the presidium meeting received, it said from groups of participants.

First report from February 24, 2020:

Berlin - After the political earthquake in the Thuringian prime minister election, the federal CDU is still in crisis. Party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced her resignation in early February. So far, it is still completely open who will become her successor.

CDU crisis: Armin Laschet, Friedrich Merz and Jens Spahn are favorites for the CDU executive chair

The favorites for her successor are NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet * , Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn * and the former chairman of the CDU parliamentary group Friedrich Merz * . Foreign politician Norbert Röttgen * is the only one who has officially announced his candidacy so far. Although the selection of actually fixed candidates has so far been extremely limited, the CDU informed on Monday morning that a special party conference is planned for April 25 . Then it should be decided who will be the new party leader.

Meanwhile, the CDU leadership is losing hope for an amicable “team solution” for the new election of the party leader in Berlin. Such a solution with previous agreements between the possible candidates, NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet, ex-Union parliamentary leader Friedrich Merz and Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn would be very difficult, it said on Monday in the party on the sidelines of the board meeting in Berlin. There had been urgent appeals for such a solution in the previous meeting of the party presidium . The only official candidate for the CDU chairmanship, Norbert Röttgen, is said to have played no role in these appeals.

The outgoing chairman AKK and Hamburg's CDU top candidate Marcus Weinberg want to inform about the results of today's board meeting in a press conference in the early Monday afternoon.

#Hello. After today's committee meetings, the press conference with @akk and @MarcusWeinberg will take place at 1.30 p.m. Live here on Twitter or via https://t.co/Ko9ZHJ5Z4P. #servicetweet pic.twitter.com/iWIdgFtSx5

CDU crisis: could a candidate for a fight possibly split the party?

In large parts of the CDU leadership there is concern that the split in the party could no longer be overcome if the candidate for a fight again. In 2018, Kramp-Karrenbauer was only very narrowly able to prevail against Merz at a party convention. As a result, she also had to struggle that parts of his supporters were not satisfied with the decision.

But it is not only the CDU chairmanship at federal level that will soon have to be replaced; Thuringia's state chairman Mike Mohring also announced his resignation. The reason, however, puzzles.

After the disastrous results for the CDU in Thuringia and Hamburg: Kramp-Karrenbauer attacks the SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil - the SPD is supposed to "leave this government".

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