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If the applause decides elections, Friedrich Merz would have the best chances. When the presidential candidate of the CDU at the regional conference in Düsseldorf is the first to deliver his speech, it is already possible, after a few sentences, to be applauded by almost half of the some 3,800 members of the CDU. left.
No doubt, it's a home game for Merz, a native of the Sauerland. But Jens Spahn, a native of North Rhine-Westphalia, has his constituency in Münsterland – but the applause for him and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer prove much more moderate than Merz. Everyone is sitting.
The 63-year-old business lawyer complains in the first few minutes of the party's long absence of speech on many issues: lack of clear positions on homeland security, climate change and integration. He gives a blow to the head of the CDU: "You do not have to take charge of all aspects of the SPD." Applause.
At previous regional conferences, it has already been shown that Merz supporters are generally the strongest. Nevertheless, this large number of permanent members in Düsseldorf is quite remarkable.
REUTERS
Friedrich Merz (left), Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Jens Spahn
NRW – the most important federal state
The three candidates are aware of the importance of this conference in North Rhine-Westphalia: with its 4 000 members, it is not only the largest of the eight events, but probably the largest in terms of the decision on the party presidency.
If you score here, you will have a tailwind in view of the party congress. The new party leader in Hamburg will be appointed by 1001 delegates of the CDU on 7 December. Only North Rhine-Westphalia has 296 because of the large number of members.
The Federal State thus has more delegates than Hesse (88), Schleswig-Holstein (47) and the six Eastern States (133) combined.
But it is also clear that conferences can only give an atmosphere. The way delegates finally vote in Hamburg is far from settled. In most polls among CDU supporters, Kramp-Karrenbauer was in the lead – ahead of Merz, ahead of Spahn. The latter is now considered an outsider.
All three are fighting for their luck. Their approach in Düsseldorf is different: Merz attacks alongside the criticism of his own party, the Greens, to which he blames double standards for the Hambach forest.
The former general secretary of the CDU, yellow jacket, black pants, called AKK, recalling the party's Christian orientation and reiterating his intention to bring the party back to 40%: "That's what we claim. "
Spahn begins his speech again and again with the following phrase: "I want to live 2040 in a country where … …". Unlike his competitors, he chooses a slightly more flexible approach, takes the hand microphone, paces the stage.
In his opening remarks he again stresses his desire for a healthy patriotism. "We invite and we do not limit, man, we can be proud of what we have accomplished," he told the members. This is one of the typical subjects of Spahn. But since Merz announced his candidacy, Spahn has a problem: both serve the extremely conservative spectrum.
Spahn's joker is his youth. And he also plays tonight: "I was told at a CDU event, with 38 years old, I'm still very young." You can see that where a CDU problem lie.
Many attacks
The tone between the three most promising candidates for the party presidency had become much tougher in recent days. At the beginning of the eight Lübeck regional conferences two weeks ago, there was little hint. Only the youngest challenger Spahn attacked in the usual way. Former Secretary General Kramp-Karrenbauer and Merz first led the fight for party leadership with the handbrake.
Both criticized the lack of a culture of discussion within the party, their comments on criminalized asylum seekers seemed similar. Even in the badysis of Merkel's refugee policy, there was until a few days ago an agreement: Merz called the decision a "great humanitarian gesture". Kramp-Karrenbauer felt that the decision was basically correct, while evoking problems.
But for about a week, the harmonious times are over, thanks to one of them: Merz.
- First and foremost, he was quick to question German asylum law as part of the harmonization of EU law. A day later, he already felt misunderstood, adjusted his statements and pledged to respect the fundamental right to asylum. Following the motto: First blink to the right, then revise – and the discussion continued.
- Then he blamed the leaders of the CDU for dismissing the AFD from a shrug – a criticism that also targeted Kramp-Karrenbauer and Spahn. They described the attack as "slapping" many members and officials of the CDU.
Merz has addressed two of the most sensitive issues of the CDU with these attacks. The leaders of the CDU have already interrupted the debate on migration issues by discussing and voting a discussion on the non-migration pact, which is provoking controversy between some members of the Union, the Congress of the federal party in Hamburg. A motion for a resolution to vote has already been prepared by GroKo – with only a few dissenting votes from the CDU.
Refugees and migration are also discussed in Düsseldorf. Merz stands by his line and calls on German Muslims to accept German law without any restrictions: "There is no Islamic right on German soil," he said. "We need better state control over Koranic schools, not that our children are taught in public schools and indoctrinated in Koranic schools."
When leaving, a member of the CDU said, "You could be proud of the party with these three candidates – and at the same time, mention a problem that haunts many MPs tonight. "Basically, we all need three to represent the party."
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