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Candidate Merz
Photo: Mirko Hannemann / action press
At some point, when it's already dark outside, there is a threat in the room, Friedrich Merz utters it.
If an attempt is made here to keep delaying the matter, to push the party congress back, then there will be "icy air," he says - some will later remember this.
Others report that he said "leaded air".
Icy air?
Air containing lead?
Either way, Merz makes his threat on Sunday in the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus, in the room where the board of directors usually meets.
At this point at the latest, it should actually be clear to all the other participants in this meeting, his opponents, the party chairman, their deputies, the General Secretary: This will not go well.
That escalates.
The CDU has been in a deep crisis since February.
At that time Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that she would give up the party leadership.
Since then there have been three candidates for the successor, but no decision because there has not yet been a party congress at which Armin Laschet, Friedrich Merz or Norbert Röttgen could have been elected.
This phase should end on December 4th, but nothing will come of it, on Monday the CDU top canceled the party congress because of Corona.
And the crisis has worsened.
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