“It was Biden at 78”: Merz is thinking of chancellorship in 2025 – with a small but
Created: 05/27/2022Updated: 05/27/2022, 17:50
By: Janine Napirca
"Joe Biden became US President at the age of 78." Friedrich Merz does not rule out a chancellor candidacy in 2025, even though he will be almost 70 by then.
© Michael Kappeler/dpa
The CDU chairman Friedrich Merz does not want to rule out a chancellor candidacy in 2025, even if he is almost 70 then.
Berlin – When the Union determined its candidate for chancellor in a tough process in 2021, Friedrich Merz was left out: two candidatures for the CDU presidency had failed.
In 2018 he lost to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, in 2020 to Armin Laschet.
When the latter gave up the CDU presidency after the lost federal election, Merz's hour had finally come.
He has been the federal chairman of the CDU since January 31, 2022.
But that doesn't seem compelling enough for him;
In 2025, Merz – as of now – may want to try again and aim for the post of Federal Chancellor.
Merz does not want to rule out the chancellor candidacy in 2025 – despite his old age
Then Merz 2025 would be almost 70 years old.
Because he doesn't want to rule anything out.
"Anyone who is healthy and in their right mind can of course hold such an office at the age of 70," Merz told
Der Spiegel
and added: "Joe Biden became US President at the age of 78."
Joe Biden became US President at the age of 78.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz (66) on his chancellor ambitions
However, the CDU politician does not want to commit himself yet: "What we do in three years, we will decide at the earliest after the European elections in 2024," he said.
"We'll talk about that when the time comes."
The competition never sleeps - younger CDU colleagues on the rise for chancellor candidacy
The power-hungry Merz could get competition from younger party colleagues.
In the state elections in Schleswig-Holstein, Prime Minister Daniel Günther got the best CDU result in 40 years with 43.3 percent.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, too, the CDU won the state elections with 35.7 percent.
NRW election winner Hendrik Wüst is now also considered a possible candidate for the chancellor candidacy.
"Since yesterday, the CDU has been back in first place among the German parties," said Merz one day after the election victory in North Rhine-Westphalia.
If you can win elections there, you can do the same anywhere in Germany.
It is questionable whether he means Wüst or himself for the K-question 2025.
(
jn/AFP
)
