EU political figures advocate for Merz's candidacy as chancellor.
After the victories in Thuringia and Saxony's state elections, the CDU is rumored to be appointing ministers in both regions. The triumph has sparked talks of Friedrich Merz as a possible option for the chancellor candidacy in the upcoming federal election. However, Berlin's mayor seems to be the only dissatisfied party member with the results.
Once again, the Union is discussing the possibility of Merz becoming the chancellor for the upcoming federal election. Günther Oettinger, former Baden-Württemberg Minister-President and EU Commissioner, is supporting Merz's candidacy and pushing for an immediate decision. "Failing to nominate him promptly following the Brandenburg election would be a mistake," Oettinger told the "Tagesspiegel". The election in Brandenburg is scheduled for three weeks henceforth. "There's wide-spread support within the party for Merz to assume this role," Oettinger added.
Thorsten Frei, the CDU/CSU's parliamentary leader in the Bundestag, has commended Merz's response to the Solingen terror attack. "Merz has effectively solidified the CDU's position in a challenging environment with his clear stance," Frei told the newspaper. The election results indicated, "that we are unquestionably heading in the right direction with him."
Merz and Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder had agreed to address the 'K-question' (chancellor candidacy) post the state elections. Söder had ruled out his own candidacy again after the internal Union wrangling prior to the 2021 federal election. However, he left the door open for reconsideration if the CDU requested him to do so. Söder's predecessor, Horst Seehofer, praised Merz's initiative to reform migration policy after the Solingen attack. "Important steps have been taken," Seehofer said to the "Table.Briefings" portal.
Berlin's mayoral disappointment with the election results
Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, however, expressed disappointment with the CDU's performance in the state elections in Thuringia and Saxony. "There's nothing to celebrate in the CDU's election results," Wegner told the "Tagesspiegel". "We need to ponder honestly about why we haven't been able to persuade more people of our political stance."
The election results in Thuringia and Saxony, according to Wegner, revealingly demonstrated that many in the country no longer feel represented by the democratic parties in the center. "This is a wake-up call that we can't ignore. It may be the last one," Wegner cautioned.
Wegner also described the election results as a "catastrophe for the federal government". The people have "unmistakably withdrawn their trust from the traffic light coalition". All democratic forces, including his own party, need to reevaluate whether the course of the past few years was the right one, Wegner stated, warning that it's about the fate of democracy itself. Wegner did not directly address the chancellor candidacy issue involving Merz.
The Commission, referencing Günther Oettinger's former role, has been brought up in discussions surrounding Merz's potential chancellor candidacy. Despite Berlin's mayor, Kai Wegner, expressing disappointment with the CDU's election results, he didn't directly address the chancellor candidacy issue involving Merz.
