As of: March 6, 2024, 5:30 p.m
By: Georg Anastasiadis
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Friedrich Merz (left) recommends himself as the Union's candidate for chancellor.
The debate about Markus Söder's (right) candidacy should now be over.
A comment from Merkur editor-in-chief Georg Anastasiadis.
© Michael Kappeler/dpa/Klaus Haag
CDU leader Merz has publicly announced that he is ready to become the Union's candidate for chancellor.
That throws other candidates like Markus Söder out of the race - for now.
A comment by Georg Anastasiadis.
Friedrich Merz feels “fit” to run for chancellor.
The fact that a loosely worded interview sentence from the 68-year-old is enough to end all (sham) debates about the replacement candidates Hendrik Wüst or Markus Söder underlines the outstanding role that the opposition leader has achieved in Berlin.
There is no way around him in the Union.
The Chancellor himself also made sure of this.
Olaf Scholz is only working on Merz in the Bundestag, not on the other two, who, as is well known, also consider themselves suitable for chancellor.
This led to a media focus that placed Merz as the only one on equal footing with the incumbent and thus made him the natural challenger.
Some people underestimate Markus Söder's versatility
This means that not only Merz has reached his (provisional) goal, but also Scholz.
Because the Chancellor now has his dream opponent.
Scholz considers the angular CDU leader to be easier to beat than Wüst or Söder in the succinct “he or I”.
And the surveys may not yet adequately reflect the fact that the incumbent, despite at first glance unfavorable headlines, has recently succeeded: Firstly, with the warning cry “democracy is in danger” he has brought millions of citizens “against the right” onto the streets and the left camp is currently mobilizing.
And secondly, with the alarm message “peace is in danger,” he is busy working on the legend that at the next election either a “peace chancellor” (i.e. himself) will remain in office – or the “war chancellor” Merz will come.
While this is a caricature of reality, it could resonate with some citizens who are tired of traffic lights but unsettled by the horrors of the Ukraine war and Putin's threats.
The ambitious Bavarian Regent Markus Söder, whose Free State has long since become too small in the midst of the global change, is currently only left with the role of observer.
The candidacy for chancellor is probably gone for him, and he doesn't want to move to Berlin as number two.
But the office of Federal President will become vacant in the spring of 2027.
The parties will be looking for applicants by 2026 at the latest, less than a year after the regular federal election date.
If Merz then resides in the Chancellery, he will probably owe the CSU boss something in return.
Some people who cannot imagine Söder in the role of balancing head of state underestimate the changeability of Bavaria, which has so far made every office its own.
George Anastasiadis