Who will be the next CDU chairman?
On Wednesday, Norbert Röttgen answered questions from party members.
Berlin - "My firm intention is, if I am elected, to ensure that we then no longer vote for two years - namely the regular term of office of a board member," said Norbert Röttgen.
Nevertheless, he does not want to answer the question of whether he also wants to bring himself into the game as the Union's candidate for chancellor.
Norbert Röttgen, CDU foreign politician, competes against Friedrich Merz and Chancellery chief Helge Braun.
For the first time in the party's history, around 40,000 union members are called upon to vote for one of the three candidates.
The election for the new party chairmanship is due to take place in January.
Merz had already answered questions from the members.
Braun follows on Thursday.
CDU party chairmanship: instability after Merkel's resignation in 2018 - Röttgen wants to lead CDU to stability
After Chancellor Angela Merkel announced in 2018 that she would no longer run as party leader, a phase of uncertainty had arisen, said Röttgen.
“Now the time of stability is announced.” He added:
“Whoever competes for the CDU, that will be in three years.”
Röttgen underlined his promise not to take up the position of parliamentary group leader as party chairman.
After the turning point in the historically worst result in the Bundestag election, it is a matter of starting and rebuilding and ensuring that as many people as possible identify with the CDU.
Röttgen's candidacy for the CDU party chairmanship: Close collaboration with Ralph Brinkhaus
"Now is not the time when someone should say: I will do everything." The CDU must rather be more broadly positioned and start over with different characters - this applies to him and Ralph Brinkhaus, parliamentary group leader.
He and Brinkhaus dared to work closely and trustingly together.
Ralph Brinkhaus also blows the same horn: "The CDU has to position itself broadly," he said on ARD.
After the coalition agreement was presented, he was asked whether there was already a strong man in the Union who could move up if the traffic lights were broken.
(dpa / kat)