The CDU and CSU have to follow a line if they want to achieve something.
Armin Laschet and Markus Söder get on wonderfully at an event in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Will it stay that way?
Cologne - It was supposed to be a New Year's speech, but it was more of a job application speech.
Armin Laschet
(CDU) made an almost presidential appearance at the digital New Year's reception of the NRW CDU.
He knows that many eyes are on him.
On January 16, the CDU delegates will
vote on him and his competitors
at the
party congress
.
There are only a few chances left to prove himself and to overtake Friedrich Merz in the surveys.
From the founding of the CDU in 1945, to the major crises in the country, to the storming of the Capitol in the USA, to the corona pandemic:
Laschet
took a themed ride - more as a companion to an important office for all of
Germany
, less as NRW- Country father.
The
Union
must win the federal election in 2021: "That is our goal, we want to work for it," said Laschet.
In autumn, politicians will also have to be
measured
by their management of the
corona pandemic
.
As Prime Minister of
North
Rhine-Westphalia,
Laschet
has some room for maneuver.
He knows about his responsibility: "That is why it is now up to us again in the states, in Bavaria, in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the federal government to get our state through the crisis well."
Laschet and Söder: Always in "intensive exchange"
There is a reason why Laschet also addresses
Bavaria
at this point
.
CSU boss
Markus Söder
appears shortly after him as a guest speaker.
Söder and Laschet know each other well.
As prime ministers of large federal states, they often have to coordinate.
There is an "intensive exchange" between the two, emphasized Laschet after his own speech.
Usually these are short text messages or phone calls.
Söder is a friend of the "clear messages".
"Markus, is that correct, did I tell the truth?" Laschet jokingly assures himself.
“Essentially,” replies Söder.
Both show humor this Saturday.
Outside of meetings, difficult topics often have to be thoroughly prepared, explained Söder.
In the endless meetings of the Bund-Länder rounds there would be a little more space for small, rather funny comments in exchange.
“Those who are actually the smallest talk the longest.
Bremen has an incredibly high proportion of speeches, so we're holding back, ”smiles Söder.
What he appreciates about
Armin Laschet is
his professional collaboration and the sense of humor despite difficult times.
Strong: @Markus_Soeder @ArminLaschet extensively expresses his respect for the election success and the work in #NRW.
And by the way reveals that both of them like to tease on the fringes of the MPKs :) # cdunje21
- Thomas Jarzombek (@tj_tweets) January 9, 2021
And
Söder continues
with these
hymns of praise
in his actual speech.
In
NRW
it is not a matter of course to win elections.
The Bavarian expresses his respect for this.
How Laschet leads the coalition, how he is advancing his country, what government work he is doing ... Söder notices himself: "That was enough of fine words and praise - but it comes from the heart."
Söder and Laschet as a union duo?
Both with a statesmanlike appearance
And suddenly Söder also switches to statesmanlike mode.
He is particularly
concerned about
the
mutated corona virus
.
"We are now really wise advised not to break off measures prematurely or to lull us into security," said
Söder
.
Even if it is not popular or convenient, the
lockdown
must be extended.
When he
sees
the
corona infection and death figures
in the morning
, "it's shocking, it's a little stab in the heart every time."
He will fight for every life, anything else would also be an "ethical surrender" for a C party.
He and Laschet would always decide "to the best of our knowledge and belief", "not according to our mood and daily form".
Even if they set different accents, especially in the spring - which were necessary due to the different infection occurrences - in the end they always
defended
the same basic assessment of
Corona
.
In April, Söder was still sending poison arrows to NRW.
“With regard to Corona, we sometimes had different accents because of a different situation on site, but always the same way.” @Markus_Soeder wishes for more decision-makers like @ArminLaschet in this crisis and praises the work of Health Minister @jensspahn.
pic.twitter.com/9Lcc2X0Spy
- Lukas Miebach (@Lukas_Miebach) January 9, 2021
Climate change, digitization and a good start for the economy after the Corona crisis: These are central issues for Söder that now need to be addressed.
“This can only be done together,” he makes clear with a view to the election campaign in the
super election year 2021
.
After the state elections in
Baden-Württemberg
and
Rhineland-Palatinate
, the program and staff will be discussed together.
Söder does not want another dispute in the Union as in the migration issue.
"No matter who
becomes
chairman
."
CDU and CSU: Armin Laschet says goodbye to his guest with a “Grüß Gott” to Bavaria
Armin Laschet
then seems to be enthusiastic about the speech by his colleague from Nuremberg.
With a non-digital format, there would have been "minutes of applause," speculates Laschet.
"I could also imagine that members would have stood up." And he is not yet finished with the hymn of praise: The
CSU boss
and
still-CDU boss Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer
would have brought the party together again.
With a joyful look into the future - presumably with the hope of soon being able to work with him as CDU leader himself - Laschet says goodbye to Bavaria with a "Grüß Gott".
But the question is how Laschet and Söder will behave when in the
CDU
in the course of the year
the question of power is asked.
Laschet as party chairman, Söder as chancellor: At the New Year's reception one had the impression that it could go well.
But Laschet has so far made no suggestion that the
candidate for chancellor will
be left to others.
Not even in the alleged discussions with Jens Spahn (CDU) and his possible ambitions to want to become chancellor.
How and whether such questions will arise soon will be clarified in the first step by the delegates at the CDU party convention next Saturday.
(cibo)
