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The Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet
Photo: Michael Kappeler / dpa
CDU leader Armin Laschet has defended himself against criticism that he is only the choice of the "party establishment" as the Union's candidate for chancellor.
The process of the candidate selection was a “well-balanced decision”, said Laschet in the ARD format “show your colors”.
Even if there are many at the CDU base who would have preferred to see his rival Markus Söder as a candidate for chancellor, in the end the CDU board decided.
"The party said: Yes, we believe you can."
Laschet said he didn't think the Union was now divided. As he did after the election as CDU chairman, he wanted to try to unite the camps. He wanted "to have many conversations, to reconcile, to bring them together, also to bring opposites back together," said Laschet. In the next few days he wanted to go to the district associations and seek a conversation. "The CDU needs that now."
Laschet and CSU boss Söder had wrestled for weeks about who should lead the Union as a candidate for chancellor in the election campaign.
Söder is doing better in many surveys, he also had many advocates in the CDU.
In a special digital meeting of the CDU board on Tuesday night, 31 of the 46 voting board members voted in secret for their own party chairman Laschet as candidate for chancellor.
Nine voted for Söder, six abstained (read more here).
There was no uprising
Söder had announced that he would accept the decision of the federal executive board - and finally withdrew at noon in the power struggle with Laschet. "The die has been cast," said the Bavarian Prime Minister in Munich. Laschet thanked him and the CSU "for the good, fair treatment in a very far-reaching decision, including a very personal decision."
Before the meeting of the Union parliamentary group in the afternoon, it was speculated that there could be displeasure with the decision.
Söder had the support of many MPs.
But such an uprising could not be seen.
Only Gunther Krichbaum commented on Söder's supporters, but he was now also campaigning for unity.
Laschet thanked the parliamentary group for the openness in the debate and assigned it an important role in drawing up the Union's electoral program, it said from Union circles.
Follow in Merkel's shoes
In the ARD interview, Laschet said on the question of possibly becoming Angela Merkel's successor, these are big shoes that he is stepping into.
"If someone has been chancellor for 16 years," says Laschet, "you have to have great respect for this life's achievement." But Merkel also started once without knowing what to expect.
Laschet reiterated his statement that the Union has a good chance of becoming the strongest force again in the federal election in autumn.
The corona pandemic has made it clear that there are many construction sites "where things are not going well" - from digitization to the education system.
However, Laschet protested against the fact that the CDU and CSU were solely responsible for current grievances, although they have governed uninterruptedly for 16 years.
"Yes, there are deficits," said Laschet.
"But one of the competitors, the SPD, co-governed."
Laschet identified the AfD as one of the biggest opponents in the election campaign.
You can argue with all other parties about issues and ideas, but the AfD is about "defending our core values."
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