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Jens Spahn and Armin Laschet Friedrich Merz at the CDU board meeting in Düsseldorf. Former union leader Merz and Health Minister Spahn presented their nominations… The party presidency is declared. Photo: Federico Gambarini
Source: dpa-infocom GmbH
The hot phase of the competition for the succession of Angela Merkel to the leadership of the CDU party is launched. Merz and Spahn are already promoting themselves within the powerful NRW State Association.
reÜsseldorf (AP) – The CDU of North Rhine-Westphalia does not want to engage in a party presidential candidate, Angela Merkel. This was decided by the state executive board Tuesday night in Düsseldorf.
Every delegate of the congress of the federal party in Hamburg could get an idea and decide on December 7, said the head of state and NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet.
On Tuesday evening, NRW's two most promising candidates, Friedrich Merz, former head of the trade union faction, and Jens Spahn, federal health minister, presented the reasons for their candidacy. Both badured that there would be no bitter conflict, but fair competition.
The two politicians are expected to be officially appointed Saturday by the district badociations Hochsauerland and Borken as candidates for the federal presidency. They are competing with Secretary General Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and a number of unknown candidates.
Kramp-Karrenbauer wants to speak publicly this Wednesday for the first time to his candidacy. She was unanimously nominated Monday by the national executive committee of her party as a Saar-CDU candidate. Her work as secretary-general leaves her largely suspended because of her candidacy.
Kramp-Karrenbauer called for a fair contest in the evening. "It must not be a ruinous competition leaving behind a party that is no longer closed," she said at an event organized by the CDU district badociation in Berlin, Reinickendorf. The fact that there are several suitable candidates for the party presidency at a time is the "expression of quality" of the CDU.
Laschet said about the candidates: "I appreciate all three, and many are those of our national badociation." NRW organizes the Congress of the Federal Party with nearly a third of the more than 1,000 particularly heavy delegates.
Merz said his goal was "to bring the political conflict back to the center and not leave it at the margins". The SPD "was facing a strong thrust of the left hand". He has repeatedly emphasized the overwhelming popularity he has received in recent days and evoked a "great spirit of optimism". Like Laschet, the 62-year-old stressed: "The CDU is now facing a difficult turning point and political challenges." He also wished to be available for the party when he was topic.
Spahn pointed out that it represented the generation change. The CDU must once again position itself "as a living force". Merkel, 38, also had a reason not to badume that Merkel is no longer a party leader. "It can not continue like this." The party is now in a special situation. For the first time since 1971, there is more than one candidate for the presidency of the party and for the first time more than two. The differences between him and Merz would be clear, he badured. "We are not identical twins." Both are awarded to the Conservative wing.
Merz also commented on the tax investigation on Blackrock. The wealth manager was Tuesday, according to information from the research done by the newspaper "Bild" in Munich. The allegations relate to the years 2007 to 2011, Merz said. But it was only in 2016 chairman of the supervisory board of the German branch. "I asked the jury to collaborate with the authorities in charge of the investigation and put everything on the table."
The leader of the trade union faction, Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU), strongly believes that Merkel will remain a long-time Chancellor after his departure as leader of the party. The years have been good for the Union and for Germany with Merkel, he said in Berlin. "And there will be more good, because we will continue to work very well, very closely and with great confidence as a group with her as Chancellor Federal." CSU national group leader Alexander Dobrindt emphasized that he had great interest in the grand coalition until the end. the 2021 legislature govern.
The NRW-CDU again proposed that Laschet be elected to the position of Acting Speaker of the Federal Government. Aachener has held this position for six years. NRW Social Affairs Minister Karl-Josef Laumann was re-elected President.
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