Will only men actually run for the CDU chairmanship?
That shouldn't be, says Rita Süssmuth, long-time campaigner for women's rights.
She is not the only one who relies on a broader field of applicants.
Berlin - Rita Süssmuth, President of the Bundestag for many years, has encouraged women in the CDU to run for party leadership.
“If there weren't any women, that wouldn't be a good sign.
We fight for parity.
Women should have the courage to run for office.
It would be an important signal, ”said Süssmuth to the editorial network in Germany.
When asked which women could take over the party chairmanship, the 84-year-old named the education minister of Schleswig-Holstein, Karin Prien, and the previous ministers of state Annette Widmann-Mauz and Monika Grütters.
From today on, applicants can be nominated for the post of CDU chairman.
The deadline is November 17th.
The new party leadership is to be elected at a party congress in January in Hanover.
Before that, the party members are asked who should succeed party leader Armin Laschet.
Braun hopes for "real alternatives"
The former Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz and foreign politician Norbert Röttgen are considered likely candidates. In party circles it is possible, but less likely, that Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus or the chairman of the CDU / CSU SME Association, Carsten Linnemann, apply for the post. All four come from North Rhine-Westphalia.
The outgoing Chancellery Minister Helge Braun relies on a wide range of candidates.
"I hope for an exciting member survey for a candidate field with real alternatives," said the CDU politician of the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung".
This year there was the fundamental problem that the decisions of the leadership were viewed very critically by the CDU base and were ultimately unsuccessful.
"Now it's about a reconciliation of leadership and grassroots."
Union wants to show unity
Braun emphasized the importance of solidarity between the CDU and CSU: “If the union is not closed, it cannot be successful.
And when the CDU and CSU are at odds, the rift always goes through the CDU, because we also have many friends of the CSU. "When asked whether this is also possible with this CSU chairman, Braun replied:" Of course a close alliance with Markus Söder possible. "
He in turn offered the CDU to get involved in the upcoming state election campaigns.
"As the CSU, we want to do our part to ensure that the Union as a whole regains stability," said Söder to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
"After this election campaign we have to find a new way of working together." He will certainly work well with the next CDU chairman.
Söder sees the prime ministers strengthened in the power structure of the Union.
"We have a number of strong prime ministers who will play a new central role alongside the new party leader," he said.
A traffic light government is centralized, so the Federal Council and the federal states have a special role to play.
Baden-Württemberg's Minister of the Interior, Thomas Strobl, wants to continue to lead the state CDU in the future, but no longer wants to run for the deputy federal chairmanship.
As the German press agency found out, the 61-year-old announced in committee meetings of the Southwest CDU in Stuttgart that he wanted to apply again for the state chairmanship at the party congress on November 13th.
At the federal party congress in January, however, he will no longer run as party vice.
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Federal Labor Court: President adopted
The head of the Federal Labor Court must be re-appointed.
The first woman to be president of the highest German labor court, Ingrid Schmidt, was retired on Friday in Erfurt with a ceremony.
A successor for Schmidt, who headed the court for 16 years, has not yet been determined.
She very much regrets that her departure is not a change of office at the same time, said Schmidt.
Federal Labor Court: President adopted
After the historically weak results in the state and federal elections, there is also strong criticism of the leadership and the call for staff renewal in the Southwest CDU.
dpa