Friedrich Merz on the election success in NRW: "It is an election victory above all by Hendrik Wüst"

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CDU federal chairman Merz with NRW prime minister Wüst: "clear message"

Photo: FILIP SINGER / EPA

After the clear victory in the state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the CDU sees itself on the upswing.

At a press conference after the party's committee meetings in Berlin, Federal Chairman Friedrich Merz interpreted the success as a "clear message".

With the victories in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia, the CDU is again "number 1 in Germany".

The CDU had a “good and convincing candidate” in Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst, said Merz.

"It's an election victory above all by Hendrik Wüst," said the federal chairman.

However, Merz attributed the clear gains for the Greens and the severe losses for the FDP and SPD to federal politics.

The results in the country would not have been possible without the federal political effects.

For example, the SPD in North Rhine-Westphalia advertised "area-wide" with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Now the Social Democrats have achieved the worst result in the state since the Second World War.

Merz also expressed concern about the historically low turnout of just 55.5 percent.

His party has lost 180,000 voters in NRW to the non-voter camp and has therefore not exhausted the potential of the party.

However, all democratic parties must worry about the problem.

Wüst continues to keep a low profile on coalition options

Wüst, who appeared together with Merz, rated the election success as a clear government mandate for the CDU.

"My goal now is to form a stable government for North Rhine-Westphalia," said Wüst.

However, he left open whether he was aiming for a black-green government alliance.

However, the incumbent prime minister again made suggestions: "The greatest challenge of our time is the reconciliation of climate protection and industrialized countries," said Wüst.

Whether that will succeed will be decided primarily in NRW.

Nowhere else in Germany did so many jobs depend on industry.

The topics of education and internal security also have priority, so Wüst.

The NRW Greens had called for a government “at eye level” on Sunday.

When asked whether a grand coalition was also possible, Wüst only said: “I will approach all democratic parties with an offer to talk.”

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