Candidacy for chancellor - Kretschmer: K-question has been decided in favor of Merz
In the opinion of Saxony's head of government Michael Kretschmer, the debate about the CDU's candidacy for chancellor has already been settled in favor of CDU leader Friedrich Merz. When asked whether the K question had already been decided, the CDU politician told the Funke Mediengruppe: "Yes, I think so." He continued: "Friedrich Merz is chairman of the CDU and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag - and is very much supported by Markus Söder, Alexander Dobrindt and myself in his candidacy," said Kretschmer.
The official decision will be made in the fall, Kretschmer said. "And that clearly begins after the state elections." New state parliaments will be elected in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg in September.
Wüst warns against premature debates
It was only at the weekend that North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU) warned the CDU/CSU against premature debates on the candidacy for chancellor - and avoided making a commitment to Merz. When asked whether he would not like to see Merz as the candidate for chancellor, Wüst told the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag": "I hope that we as the CDU/CSU do not make it too easy for the Chaos-Ampel by holding personnel debates at the wrong time."
That is why he is not contributing to the debate himself. "TheCDU and CSU will clarify the issue together as agreed in the year before the general election."
CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt recently confirmed that Merz is the clear favorite in the race for the chancellor candidacy.
The next general election will take place in the fall of 2025. In 2021, Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder left the Union's candidacy for chancellor to then CDU leader Armin Laschet after a bitter power struggle. Wüst has not yet expressed any open ambitions to run for chancellor among the Christian Democrats, but has not denied it either. In August, Söder had spoken out in favor of not selecting the Union's candidate for chancellor until after the 2024 elections in East Germany.
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- In a statement to the Funke Mediengruppe, Michael Kretschmer, the head of government in Saxony, indicated that the CDU's candidacy for chancellor is largely in favor of CDU leader Friedrich Merz.
- According to Kretschmer, the K-question, which refers to the process of selecting the Union's candidate for chancellor, has been settled, and Merz is strongly supported by several high-ranking politicians such as Markus Söder and Alexander Dobrindt.
- Despite Kretschmer's endorsement, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Hendrik Wüst advised against premature debates on the chancellor candidacy, choosing not to publicly commit to Merz's candidacy.
- Wüst expressed concern that debating the chancellor candidacy too early could make it easier for the opposition parties to capitalize on divisive personnel debates within the Union.
- In previous statements, CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt named Merz as the clear favorite for the chancellor candidacy, further indicating Merz's strong position within the Union.
- Following Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder's decision to step aside in favor of CDU leader Armin Laschet during the bitter power struggle of 2021, Merz now has the chance to become the Union's candidate for chancellor in the upcoming 2025 general election.
- While Wüst has not openly expressed any ambitions to run for chancellor, he has not explicitly ruled out the possibility either, making it difficult to predict the Union's final candidate for the top position.
- As part of the Union parliamentary group, both the CDU and CSU will address the chancellor candidacy issue together in the agreed-upon time frame before the general election in the fall of 2025.
Source: www.stern.de
