Dobrindt: Merz is the "clear favorite" to run for chancellor

Parties - Dobrindt: Merz is the "clear favorite" to run for chancellor

CSU state group leader Alexander Dobrindt has confirmed that CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz is the clear favorite to be chosen as next year's candidate for chancellor. When asked in the "Rheinische Post" (Saturday) whether the CDU and CSU would work hand in hand to clarify the personnel issue next year, Dobrindt put the name of the CDU leader into his own mouth: "We are prepared to take on the responsibility together as a federal government. There will be a candidate for chancellor, and Friedrich Merz is the clear favorite."

A few days ago, CSU leader and Bavarian Minister President Markus Söder, who many people do not believe has any more ambitions to be a candidate, conceded that Merz would only be the favorite in the event of an early Bundestag election, for example if the traffic light coalition were to break up soon. Otherwise, he told the magazine "Stern": "The key question regarding the chancellor candidacy is: Who can bundle the Union's votes the most? Then the CDU has to decide." Söder is usually ahead in the polls.

The next general election will take place in the fall of 2025. In 2021, Söder left the CDU's candidacy for chancellor to then party leader Armin Laschet after a bitter power struggle. Among the Christian Democrats, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Hendrik Wüst has not yet expressed any open ambitions to run for chancellor, but has not denied it either. In August, Söder spoke out in favor of not selecting the Union's candidate for chancellor until after the 2024 elections in the east. New state parliaments will be elected in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in September.

Read also:

• A clan member is punished here
• Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
• Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
• He also wanted to kill his cousin

1. Despite Markus Söder's initial claims that he has no further aspirations for chancellor, Friedrich Merz has emerged as the clear favorite for the role as the CDU's candidate for chancellor in next year's elections.
2. The prospect of a fractured traffic light coalition has heightened the likelihood of Merz's candidacy, as per Alexander Dobrindt's confirmation in the 'Rheinische Post'.
3. The CSU, led by Söder, and the CDU, under Merz, have signaled their readiness to work together for the Federal Government, with a common candidate for chancellor.
4. Merz's favoritism is based on his ability to garner the Union's votes effectively, as emphasized by Söder in response to speculation regarding the chancellor candidacy.
5. The Christian Democrats, including Wüst, have not yet formally expressed their ambitions for chancellor, but the upcoming federal election in 2025 promises an exciting race for political power in Germany.
6. The CSU and CDU parties have a history of working collaboratively, as shown in their hand-in-hand approach to choose the Union's chancellor candidate.
7. The Rheinische Post's report on Dobrindt's confirmation of Merz as the favorite for chancellor candidacy has sparked intense debate among German political circles and the media.
8. With a notable shift in political alliances in Germany, the Bundestag and the Federal Government roles will be crucial for the Union parties, making the candidacy for chancellor a highly influential decision.

Source: www.stern.de