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Photo: Frederic Kern / imago images / Future Image
Will there be a surprise in the race for the CDU chairmanship?
While the possible applicants are still delaying their candidacies, the Hessian CDU now wants to interfere in the matter.
According to information from SPIEGEL, the state executive committee of the Christian Democrats in Wiesbaden has called a special meeting for next Friday.
As a spokesman confirmed, it should be about the upcoming election of the party leadership.
Whether the state party will take a formal decision on whom it will support in the fight for the chairmanship is still open.
The two Bundestag members Friedrich Merz and Norbert Röttgen have been the most likely applicants in the CDU, both of whom have been exploring their chances internally for weeks and addressing possible allies.
In Hesse, however, members of the state executive are reportedly relying on another, so far not mentioned candidate: Chancellor Helge Braun.
Braun, who comes from Hesse and is traded as the successor to Prime Minister Volker Bouffier, has not yet commented on the question of whether he is toying with the idea of running for office.
In internal discussions, however, he should not have ruled out his own application, according to party circles.
As an indication of his interest, leading Christian Democrats identified an interview that Braun last gave to the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung”. The fact that he already sounded like an opposition politician in terms of tone and accused Finance Minister Olaf Scholz of irresponsibility in corona politics surprised some in the party. He also got involved in the interview to search for candidates in his party. It is now about "a reconciliation of leadership and base," said Braun. "For an exciting member survey, I hope for a field of candidates with real alternatives."
However, it is questionable whether Braun would have a chance in the race for the CDU chairmanship. On the one hand, he is very well networked, belongs to the camp of the more liberal Christian Democrats and has not only managed government affairs for Angela Merkel for four years behind the scenes. At times he was the face of the corona crisis, for months he appeared more publicly than hardly any head of the Chancellery before him. The fact that Braun did not always cut a happy figure in fighting the pandemic is, in parts of the party, just as heavy a burden for a candidacy as the fact that he is considered a close confidante of the Chancellor.
The Hessian CDU is one of the most influential state associations in the party.
CDU Vice Bouffier had already significantly interfered in the fight for the candidacy for chancellor and promoted Armin Laschet as number one alongside Wolfgang Schäuble.
The meeting of the Hessian CDU is also noteworthy because it could encourage other state associations to position themselves in the search for bosses as well.
So far, no regional association has made such plans public.
After its historic election debacle, the CDU is daring an experiment.
The members should determine the incoming chairman.
Applicants can be nominated until mid-November, after which they will be elected.
The winner is to be confirmed at a party conference in January.
kev / hic / vme / flo
