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Jens Spahn at his switch at the digital CDU party conference
Photo: Rüdiger Wölk / imago images / Rüdiger Wölk
Armin Laschet is the new CDU boss.
He and his tandem partner, Health Minister Jens Spahn, entered the race for the CDU chairmanship "as a team".
What that means for Spahn's role in the CDU after Laschet's victory is unclear.
The advantage it meant for Laschet at the party congress, however, became clear.
Because Spahn used a digital question and answer session for a hymn of praise for Laschet - contrary to what was actually planned.
For the first time, the party conference took place completely digitally.
Laschet and his competitors, ex-parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz and the former minister Norbert Röttgen were on site in the studio.
The 1001 delegates sat at home and watched the live stream.
All three candidates each had 15 minutes to speak, followed by a virtual question and answer session.
Only three CDU members had the chance to ask a question due to technical problems, one of them was Jens Spahn.
The minister then had no question in his desk, but rather sent greetings to Laschet.
Laschet was the "correct answer" to the personnel question, said Spahn.
The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia has the ability to bring different camps together: "He lives cohesion." Although he and Laschet "do not always have the same opinion," Spahn continued.
But they both are convinced that after 16 years as Chancellor Angela Merkel "continuity in governance" is needed, "but also new impulses for the 20s".
"That was not a question"
The mentioned Laschet smiled discreetly, Merz and Röttgen looked slightly confused.
The moderator concluded: "That wasn't a question."
Spahn had unsuccessfully applied for the post of CDU chief at the CDU party congress in 2018, but was defeated by Merz and the then victorious Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.
The now outgoing CDU leader announced her retirement from office at the beginning of 2020.
Spahn ruled out a new candidacy and instead announced his support for Laschet.
He himself has served as a runner-up for the past eleven months.
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with dpa