Wüst hands over chancellorship contest responsibilities to Merz, issues caution to Söder.
His chances of becoming the Union's Chancellor candidate in the 2025 federal election were already slim. Now, NRW Minister-President Hendrik Wüst has declared that he has no interest in vying for this position. This news effectively eliminates CDU leader Friedrich Merz and CSU leader Markus Söder from the race, at least for now.
Wüst's decision wasn't too shocking. He had only marginal chances of securing the nomination. Despite this, he claimed in recent weeks and months that numerous individuals and corporations had encouraged him to take on a higher federal role, citing his impressive poll numbers.
Interestingly, Wüst did express his support for Merz as the Federal Chairman candidate. He also urged the CSU to back his bid, stating that this would significantly boost the Union's chances of winning in the upcoming election.
The day before these announcements, Wüst had urged Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder to show unity for the sake of presenting a united front. "He's well aware that it's crucial for us to present ourselves as a Union so that we can form a better federal government as soon as possible," Wüst stated on ARD. "And he also knows that '21 wasn't so great." In the 2021 federal election, Söder had a tough time competing against CDU leader Armin Laschet for the candidacy, eventually losing but continuing to push for it; ultimately, the Union lost the election.
Söder had repeatedly asserted that he wouldn't repeat 2021. However, he recently seemed to back down from this stance and publicly engaged in the candidacy fight. The CDU had always maintained that Merz had the right of first refusal.
Merz had recently stated that the decision should be made in late summer. Some speculated that the party was waiting for the results of three eastern state elections, including Saxony and Thuringia. By now, the elections in Saxony and Thuringia have taken place. This Sunday, there will be elections in Brandenburg to elect a new state parliament.
Just this morning, Bavaria's parliamentary group leader Klaus Holetschek suggested that a decision on the candidacy would come in the next few days. "Markus Söder could be Chancellor. The members of his state parliament faction agree with this." The faction also expressed their support for Söder continuing as Bavarian Minister-President.
Holetschek added that a decision on the candidacy would be discussed in the coming days. However, it's also possible that the decision will be postponed until after the state election in Brandenburg on Sunday.
Despite Wuündst's support for Merz as the Federal Chairman candidate, the CDU leader's chances of becoming the Union's Chancellor candidate remain uncertain. If Soeder decides to run and secures the CSU's support, he could emerge as the strongest candidate, potentially overshadowing Merz.
