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Friedrich Merz, Norbert Röttgen and Armin Laschet (from left): In the race for the CDU chairmanship, the three candidates agreed on a timetable.
Photo: Fischer / dpa
Two public live discussions with the candidates on the Internet, plus internal CDU individual talks via video and one candidate email each: On Monday, the three applicants for the CDU chairmanship have a timetable for the last four weeks before the start December in Stuttgart agreed election party conference.
Because of the corona pandemic, NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet, ex-Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz and foreign politician Norbert Röttgen are foregoing public events.
Whether there would be a joint television dispute before the party congress, as requested by Röttgen, remained open.
Laschet and Merz did not make any public comments either when they arrived at the one and a half hour consultation with CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer at the party headquarters or when they left.
Röttgen then spoke of a good, objective discussion.
Upon his arrival, he campaigned for a respectful, transparent and public procedure before the election party conference planned for December 4th in Stuttgart.
All CDU members should "notice the accent differences that exist, which are also good for a party".
Röttgen emphasized: "We all want the best for the CDU."
After the meeting, Kramp-Karrenbauer said that there had been a good and constructive conversation about the way to the party congress.
"The party wants fair competition. I am sure that the three candidates and the formats discussed will work out well."
CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak emphasized that the party headquarters would now start intensively with the detailed planning of the events.
"The digital formats are a very good solution - in times of Corona - to give all members the opportunity to discuss with the candidates."
Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU), meanwhile, warned of the consequences of a candidacy for the CDU chairmanship.
"Other parties define themselves through wings and their disputes. The Union already has the common ground in its name," he said "Zeit online".
"We want unity, especially in times of crisis. Because it's about Germany, not about parties or individual egos."
The Union wants to lead the next federal government and shape politics.
"The common goal must be more important than a few seconds of speaking time for individuals on the evening news."
The three candidates agreed on two joint and public live conversations that were broadcast on the Internet - one in the first week of November and another in the last week of November, around a week before the party conference.
The discussions, each lasting around 90 minutes, are to take place without an audience in the party headquarters and are to be broadcast live and publicly on the Internet.
Party members should ask the candidates questions in advance.
In addition, there will be three around 60-minute individual CDU-internal live discussions on the Internet, in which the candidates can be interviewed individually by the party members in advance or live.
These roundtables are to be organized between November 16 and 20.
In addition, the candidates want to contact the party members personally in an email in the second week of November.
In addition, there should be information on candidates and election procedures on the CDU website.
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asa / dpa
