Germany chooses CDU leader: who could become Angela Merkel’s successor?



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Merkel resigned from the CDU presidency in 2018 and chose Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as her successor. However, without gaining the public’s trust, he withdrew.

The new president of the CDU will have a real chance of becoming the new German chancellor. Pre-pandemic polls have shown the CDU’s popularity has waned in some regions, but effective crisis management has led to the party now having a positive rating of more than 70 percent. German.

All three candidates are men from North Rhine-Westphalia.

www.imago-images.de nuotr./Angela Merkel

www.imago-images.de nuotr./Angela Merkel

Who are they?

Arminas Laschetas Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia. He is seen as a candidate who could keep the party line the same as Merkel’s, Euronews writes.

In 2017, he defeated the Social Democrats in their stronghold in North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the largest lands in the country. He became prime minister and ruled in coalition with the Free Democratic Party (FDP).

Laschet used his experience in campaigning for the CDU leadership position: “It is good to have leaders who have responsibilities in government. That in itself is proof. “

“Reuters” / “Scanpix” nuotr./Arminas Laschetas

The 59-year-old candidate says he wants to modernize Germany and “cure” the shortcomings revealed by the pandemic.

One of the candidates is an expert on foreign policy. Norbert Röttgen. Not elected Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2012 and removed from the post of Minister for the Environment, Röttgen eventually became chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee.

Polls show that the Juris Doctor has gained popularity in recent weeks.

AFP /

AFP / “Scanpix” nuotr./Norbertas Röttgenas

55 The foreign policy expert says he is the middle ground between Merkel’s loyal A. Laschet and conservative businessman Friedrich Merz.

According to Euronews, Röttgen recently claimed that he did not belong to either side of the party: “I fully support the modern center.”

A millionaire businessman Friedrichas Merzas disappeared from the CDU scene, but reappeared in 2018 in pursuit of the party president.

A. Kramp-Karrenbauer then defeated the 65-year-old attorney by a small margin.

AFP /

AFP / “Scanpix” nuotr./Friedrichas Merzas

Merz is considered an economic liberal. He is especially popular with the conservative wing of the party and with the youth.

He was a member of parliament until 2009, after which he moved into business. Most recently, he was Chairman of the Board of Directors of investment management company BlackRock Asset Management Deutschland AG, earning millions as a corporate lawyer.

He does not hide his desire for the party to return to the path of traditional social conservatism, Euronews writes.

Not necessarily become chancellor

Main party members and chairman of the Bundestag, German parliament Wolfgang Schäuble cautioned that none of them are guaranteed the chance to run for chancellor in the September elections.

It is said that the CDU and its partner in Bavaria, the Christian Social Union (CSU), could nominate another person on the land after the March elections.



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