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Friedrich Merz (CDU): If a face-to-face party conference is not possible, it can take place as a digital party conference
Photo: MICHAEL KAPPELER / AFP
Who will be the new CDU chairman?
This question should actually be clarified at the planned party congress in December.
Because of the worsening corona pandemic, the party leadership wants to postpone the event.
Friedrich Merz, who is applying for the party chairmanship, is critical of the debate about a late date.
There are "considerable parts of the party establishment who want to prevent me from becoming party chairman," said Merz in the ARD "Morgenmagazin".
He has noticed that for weeks.
According to him, the current debate about postponing the CDU party congress must be seen against this background.
The party conference is actually planned for December 4th in Stuttgart.
The CDU chairman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer suggested a postponement until next spring, as SPIEGEL learned from party circles.
The federal executive committee has to make a final decision; it meets on Monday morning.
Merz had previously spoken out in favor of a presence party conference.
On Monday he said that if a face-to-face party conference was not possible, it could take place as a digital party conference.
"And it can also end with an election," he said.
If it does not take place digitally either, Corona can no longer be justified.
"Then there are obviously reasons that have little or nothing to do with Corona," he said.
The current party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer had proposed to decide on a new date next year.
According to SPIEGEL information, your proposal to cancel the party congress planned for December 4th and decide on a new date on January 16th was unanimously approved by the CDU Presidium.
The party leader called on the members of the Presidium and candidates to unity, it said from participants.
The most important thing now is that Germany gets the pandemic under control, said Kramp-Karrenbauer accordingly.
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