Düsseldorf: New Group Claims Credit for Series of Burglaries - Wüst leaves chancellor query undecided, waiting for fall to make a choice.
Hendrik Wüst, the Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and a member of the CDU party, hasn't ruled out running for the position of the Union's chancellor. He spoke about his potential candidacy in an interview with Markus Feldenkirchen on the ARD program "Confrontation," airing Monday at 8:20 p.m. on the First Channel.
He says the decision about who will be the Union's chancellor has not been made yet, and it's still up for grabs. "Anyone who thinks it has been decided is wrong. The question is still open, and will be decided when the time comes," Wüst explained.
Wüst believes that all German minister presidents have the skills and experience to become chancellors. He names 5 to 10 people within their ranks who might fit the bill. The Union is expected to make their decision in the fall, following discussions between the party leaders.
During the interview, Wüst was asked directly if he would like to be the federal chancellor. His response? "I'm content with being the Minister President of NRW."
In the current ARD Germany Trend survey, about a third of the respondents (34 percent) view Wüst as a possible good chancellor candidate. Wüst is in a tie with the CSU chairman Markus Söder, and both beat out Frederick Merz, the CDU chairman, who only has 26 percent support as a potential chancellor candidate. "This just shows how well our work here in NRW is appreciated," Wüst said.
