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Karin Prien describes it as »strange« that candidates for the CDU federal chairmanship »surround themselves with a bevy of female supporters«
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Christoph Soeder / dpa
The Schleswig-Holstein Education Minister Karin Prien has announced her candidacy as CDU deputy federal chairwoman.
»I would like to contribute my experiences and perspectives to the new CDU presidium.
That's why I'm going to run for deputy party chairman at the party congress, ”said Prien to the editorial network in Germany.
She turned down a candidacy to succeed party leader Armin Laschet.
She wanted to get fully involved in the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein on May 8, so that the CDU around Prime Minister Daniel Günther could win again, said Prien, who has been a member of the CDU federal executive committee since January.
“You can't do all of that on the side.
Leading the party in this situation requires a level of commitment and attention that cannot be afforded without neglecting other things. "
In addition, she would like to continue to be minister in Schleswig-Holstein.
At the same time, Prien emphasized: »In the field of education and research, the Union must again claim to provide the decisive impetus.
In addition to climate protection and digitization, this is the topic of the future. "
It is "about more than the question of how the gentlemen from NRW get their rights"
In response to the finding that she was not running as party vice for a team with one of the likely chairman candidates Friedrich Merz or Norbert Röttgen, Prien said: »I find it curious that it just seems to be about individual candidates surrounded by a group of female comrades-in-arms who then come across as more of a garnish. "This is not her self-image. She claims to be an independent actor. "For the CDU it is about more than the question of how the gentlemen from NRW get their rights." In addition to Merz and Röttgen, other possible candidates for the CDU chairmanship come from NRW.
You could also imagine working with Merz, said Prien when asked.
"Contrary to popular rumors, he has not yet contacted me." She hopes that we will see several candidacies in the next few days.
She expressly does not share the assessment of Merz, who described the Union at the Junge Union's Germany Day in mid-October as a "serious restructuring case at risk of insolvency," said Prien.
However, the CDU must give much more detailed answers to future issues, for example in pension, education, climate or refugee policy.
"We will still have some conflicts in the party that we haven't had in the past few years," she said.
The CDU wants to attend a party conference on 21./22.
As a consequence of the electoral defeat, elect a new leadership in Hanover on January 1st.
svs / dpa