As of: March 12, 2024, 1:42 p.m
By: Franziska Schwarz
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Who does it?
Friedrich Merz (l., CDU) is considered the Union's likely candidate for chancellor, but CSU leader Markus Söder could still be lurking in the background.
© IMAGO/Chris Emil Janssen
Merz and Söder presented the European election program of the CDU and CSU.
The next federal election and the Union's candidate for chancellor were also topics.
Berlin - The Union adopted its program for the European elections on Monday (March 11th) in Berlin - and even here it was not spared from the "K question".
When asked by a journalist whether CDU chairman Friedrich Merz had already been confirmed as a candidate for chancellor, CSU leader Markus Söder (once again) had a counterattack ready.
The K question has been solved, Söder joked: “Ursula von der Leyen should become Commission President again.” Bavaria’s Prime Minister emphasized the “K” in “Commission President”.
In the event of a premature break in the traffic light coalition, Merz is considered the Union's natural candidate.
But in addition to Merz, Söder and North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) are said to have ambitions to become Chancellor.
Merz's recent statement that he felt "fit" to run for chancellor was enough "to end all (sham) debates about the replacement candidates Wüst or Söder," commented the
Münchner Merkur
, for example .
The decision should only be made after the elections in East Germany in September.
Söder on the K question: “You only try it once in your life”
So is it conceivable that the CSU will be the next chancellor?
Söder recently downplayed this in the ARD program “Caren Miosga”.
Nobody in his party would want to, “except someone who could theoretically,” said Söder – with a view to himself. But you only try to run for chancellor once in your life, he added.
The background to his allusions: CSU father Franz-Josef Strauß and his crown prince and later successor Edmund Stoiber had each made one - unsuccessful - attempt at the chancellery in their time.
Söder lost the power struggle in 2021 to choose the Union chancellor candidate against the then CDU leader Armin Laschet.
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The CDU and CSU are relying on a conservative program ahead of the European elections
Apart from the K question: What is the Union betting on in the European elections?
Prevent the success of anti-Europeans and traffic light parties with a decidedly conservative program.
The focus of the election campaign is on a massive armament of the EU, including aircraft carriers and its own missile shield.
They are also calling for their own EU defense commissioner.
The security situation in Europe has changed fundamentally in recent years, particularly as a result of the war in Ukraine, according to the election manifesto.
It is entitled “Europe with Security – For a Europe that protects and benefits”.
(frs)