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Michael Kretschmer (left) and Friedrich Merz: A team soon?
Photo: Florian Gaertner / photothek / picture alliance
"Friedrich Merz would be the best solution," said Michael Kretschmer in an interview regarding the question of who should head the CDU in the future.
»He has a lot of experience, a clear regulatory compass, takes great pleasure in his work and has positioned himself much broader.
I also have the feeling that Friedrich Merz is wanted by the members of the CDU and by the majority of the population, "Saxony's Prime Minister told the editorial network Germany (RND).
Kretschmer left it open whether he would apply for the vice-chairmanship of the federal CDU.
Merz had recently brought the party friend into conversation for the post.
"I am ready to take on responsibility," said Kretschmer in the interview.
"But where that will be, I'll decide after the chairman is elected."
In addition to Merz, the executive head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, and foreign policy specialist Norbert Röttgen are applying for the CDU chairmanship.
For the first time, the approximately 400,000 CDU members are to make a preliminary decision on the future chairman in a survey that will start at the beginning of December.
The new party leader is to be elected on 21./22.
January at a digital party conference.
In surveys, Merz is given the best chance of winning the post.
"None of the three"
According to a survey, people in Germany show little agreement with the three applicants for the CDU chairmanship.
When asked who they would most likely trust the office of party leader - Friedrich Merz, Norbert Röttgen or Helge Braun - 35 percent answered "none of the three".
Merz did the best among the three candidates.
For the former Union parliamentary group leader in the Bundestag, 23 percent decided in the YouGov survey on behalf of the German Press Agency.
The foreign politician Röttgen came to 16 and the executive head of the Chancellery Braun to 7 percent.
cbu / dpa