Even the union parliamentary group meeting seemed to be a beacon for Armin Laschet - Markus Söder made the CSU boss tremble.
The beginning of the end?
Berlin / Munich - “Order” is always an important catchphrase for the CSU. Mostly in connection with "law". On Tuesday, however, the word “stability” was added. And the addressee was not organized crime - but CDU boss Armin Laschet. In a remarkable press conference, Markus Söder and his new and old regional group leader in Berlin, Alexander Dobrindt, let Laschet appear several times. On closer inspection, it's also pretty rough.
It was about "questions of style", about a scolding for an "unnecessary" defeat.
Above all, however, it was about Laschet's political future.
In the end, the CDU chief just barely saved them.
Before that, Söder and Dobrindt made him tremble vigorously with reference to “order” and “stability” in their own parliamentary group.
A show of force by the CSU could be admired.
In the end, it was almost surprising that Söder let the ex-opponent off the hook again.
After the federal election: Laschet in a difficult situation - Söder initially issued an ice-cold rebuff
The fact that Laschet got into this situation at all is a result of the Union election defeat on Sunday, but above all his weak standing in the Bundestag faction of the CDU and CSU. The SPD and Olaf Scholz now have the first access to the Chancellery, at least nominally. And in the event of failure, Laschet - who is already preparing to withdraw from North Rhine-Westphalia - only has a straw: the office of Union parliamentary group leader and thus as opposition leader. Anything else would mean being a backbencher, as SPD candidate Martin Schulz suffered in 2017.
But first you have to be elected to the position of parliamentary group leader - by parliamentarians, who recently feared for their seats.
In view of the bitter hours in the Chancellor's wrestling with Söder, Laschet did not believe in a direct free choice, especially in the group itself.
And the CSU wanted to block him from moving from candidate for chancellor to parliamentary group leader after the coalition negotiations.
It should be elected today and no interim boss should be elected, decided Söder and Laschet.
"Order and Stability".
An ice cold rebuff.
Laschet gets CSU broadside: Söder puts the CDU chief's course in a bad light - "a question of style"
The two Bavarians had further setbacks for Laschet in their luggage - albeit well packaged in seemingly sober analyzes and democratic self-evident. One must “respect” an election result, stressed Söder. This also includes “congratulating Olaf Scholz”. It is about a "question of style" and a democratic custom. Laschet was accused of having avoided congratulating the SPD as the strongest force in the federal election. When asked, Söder added that it was not a joke at Laschet's address. Anyone who wanted to could still read out the accusation of non-sovereignty addressed to Laschet, who was fighting for all options.
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt spoke in front of the media representatives with a view to the federal election of "one of the most unnecessary defeats of the past decades".
The SPD is “not too clear”, but still ahead of the Union.
Söder himself became clearer: From the election result "really no government mandate can be morally legitimized".
That is exactly what Laschet had said on election evening with a view to the wishes of the Union voters.
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Difficult days: Armin Laschet at the CDU press conference after the federal election.
© Michael Kappeler / dpa
After all: reports that he could secure Jamaica as negotiator and later become chancellor, the CSU boss credibly referred to the realm of speculation.
Such rumors only indicated "nervousness" and arose without the involvement of the CSU, said Söder.
But it was also clear: The Christian Socialists threatened to draw a first thick line under Laschet's oars for political survival.
A permanent parliamentary group leader, possibly one of the ranks of former CDU presidential candidates Friedrich Merz, Jens Spahn or Norbert Röttgen would not only have thwarted rescue plans, but also created a second center of power among the Christian Democrats.
And the CSU seemed willing to let that happen.
With the reference to "candidates from North Rhine-Westphalia", Söder even indirectly confirmed the speculations and smugly referred to the press conference after the meeting.
At this point in time, the TV broadcaster Phoenix was already debating an imminent end for the CDU chief.
Söder gives in, Laschet can breathe a sigh of relief - but before that even Brinkhaus had gone on a confrontation
Around 20 minutes before the constituent meeting of the Union parliamentary group, things turned out differently.
The Springer Group media reported an agreement: incumbent Ralph Brinkhaus is to continue to lead the parliamentary group for six months, a possible candidate for a fight by the CDU top dogs was thus averted - as was a final dismantling of Laschet.
Dobrindt and Brinkhaus themselves confirmed the procedure a little later in front of the press.
The compromise was reached, "because it is now important that we are very, very closed in the coming weeks," said Brinkhaus.
Laschet was able to breathe a sigh of relief for the time being - especially since six months in the worst case could even be a realistic time frame for the difficult coalition negotiations on “Jamaica” and the “traffic light”.
In any case, the fact that the level-headed and widely respected Brinkhaus remains in office doesn't taste like an alternative candidate for Chancellor.
The fact that the agreement was reached so late was also a signal: That morning, Brinkhaus Laschet, who was actually mostly looking for a compromise, had outright rejected Laschet's request for a transitional solution, as could be read.
Laschet saves himself again - the Greens elect interim parliamentary group leaders completely silently
For the time being, the heavily controversial Laschet - in the words of the noiselessly re-elected SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich - "muddled through" again. For the time being, the stand-up story about Laschet still holds. But the coming days will be exciting for the CDU. Even if Brinkhaus later described Laschet as a “born negotiator” for the coalition negotiations. In any case, he only related the statement to Laschet's office as CDU chief.
The Greens also provided another example of a smoother approach on Tuesday: They only "provisionally" confirmed their parliamentary group leaders Katrin Göring-Eckardt and Anton Hofreiter for the time being.
There should be a definitive solution after the decision on whether to participate in the government.
For the Greens, that seems to be sufficient “stability and order”.
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