Icon: enlarge
Norbert Röttgen at a discussion in the Konrad-Adenauer-Haus in January
Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa
As a candidate for the CDU chairmanship, foreign policy-maker Norbert Röttgen has confirmed his claim that if he is elected, he will also be a candidate for chancellor.
The party's self-image is that the chairman will also take over the office of candidate for chancellor, said the foreign policy officer during a conversation in "Guten Morgen Deutschland" on RTL on Friday.
"The most important goal is that the Union candidate becomes the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany."
With him, North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet and the economic politician and former parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz compete for the successor to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer at the CDU party chairmanship.
Laschet had previously presented himself as the ideal successor to the Chancellor.
With the potential chancellor competitor of the sister party CSU, Markus Söder, Röttgen does not want to measure himself: “We are the first servants of the parties, that's what it's all about.
And not about us and our egos. «According to the current schedule, the CDU and CSU want to agree in March or April who should run as a joint candidate for chancellor in autumn.
In the run-up to the party congress, several Union politicians had called for unity after the election - regardless of who should emerge as the new party leader.
In addition, CSU boss Söder had warned against breaking with the Chancellor's course.
According to the Bavarian Prime Minister, it is a “fundamental” mistake to believe that “by breaking with Angela Merkel you can win the federal elections”.
Because of the corona pandemic, a party leadership is determined for the first time in Germany at an online party conference.
The vote will take place on Saturday and will then be confirmed by postal vote.
The legally binding result is to be announced on January 22nd.
Icon: The mirror
ire / dpa