Final in the fight for the CDU party presidency. On Saturday, more than 300 CDU district chairmen voted to let the members decide on the new CDU chairmanship. Favorite of the base and thus favorite in the party presidency race: Friedrich Merz (65)!
BUT: Merz is of course not the only candidate for the CDU top office.
BILD introduces Merz and his toughest potential rivals: Ex-Environment Minister Norbert Röttgen (56), Health Minister and party vice Jens Spahn (41), Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus (53) and CDU SME leader Carsten Linnemann (44).
Friedrich Merz
Merz is considered a socio-politically conservative, is assigned to the economic liberal wing of the CDU. As part of Laschet’s future team in this year’s election campaign, he represented financial and economic policy issues.
?? Merz’s excitement: In November 2018, he attributed himself to the middle class in the BILD talk “The Right Questions” – as a millionaire.
Favorite of the CDU base: Friedrich Merz (65)Photo: INA FASSBENDER/AFP
? Minus point: Merz has already applied twice for the party presidency – twice without success.
He has not officially confirmed that he is running for a third time. At the beginning of October, he said that this was a question that he had “not dealt with conclusively”. He had ruled out a candidacy in the event of a vote at a party congress. The member survey would now benefit him as a basic favorite.
? Plus point: Merz is not only a grassroots favorite, an exclusive survey also sees him as a suitable party leader ahead: The opinion research institute INSA has asked more than 1000 people for BILD who they trust to lead the CDU out of the crisis as party leader.
With 15 percent approval, the most suitable candidate: Merz. Among the Union voters surveyed, the approval is even greater, 24 Percent trust Merz the way out of the crisis.
And: Merz seems to have a plan for the way to the party presidency: As BILD reported, he is already working on the formation of a top team. The goal: to leave no chance for other possible applicants in a member survey.
This is how Merz wants to bring Spahn into the team and also find an amicable solution with Linnemann. Appropriate conversations are ongoing.
