Merkel's Disclaimer: Tobias Hans Supports Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer as Successor

WORLD: Mr Hans, why can Angela Merkel still remain Chancellor?

Tobias Hans: She clearly stated that she does not aspire to a new candidacy to the Chancellor, that matters to me. She always said that the party presidency and the chancery belonged to one hand. He has now adopted this principle. This deserves great recognition because it shows that she does not put her person above the thing. Elections in the state have been a sign that parties must change something, all. The CDU was the most consistent here and is now alone.

WORLD: What is expected of a Chancellor who leaves office in two and a half years? In America, we talk about one, Duck Blade.

Hans: First, it will be important to improve the work of the government. There is still a lot of progress to be made. I strongly believe that the way we treat the federal government has something to do with the position of the parties. Relations between the two party leaders, Horst Seehofer and Angela Merkel, were extremely tense. A fresh start can also stimulate government work here.

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WORLD: Do you expect party leader Horst Seehofer to draw conclusions after the leader of the CDU and initiate a complete new start in the family of the Union?

Hans: It's not for me to give good advice to the CSU. But the fact is that Angela Merkel gave an example of taking responsibility after a bad election result. CSU will also have to deal with this debate. Angela Merkel has managed to make a voluntary departure as a party leader. I wish the same to my colleagues Horst Seehofer.

WORLD: Were you caught off guard by Merkel's decision?

Hans: I did not expect that. This was not what we could expect. We left with a black eye in Hessen. There was therefore no request for resignation from the committees. Angela Merkel surprised us all. It's a noble step.

WORLD: Does she do the right job? Voter voting should not meet with the president of the CDU, but the head of the federal government.

Hans: If it was a vote against the head of government, only the CDU would have lost ten percentage points. But also CSU and SPD have lost mbadively. People are dissatisfied with all parties in the government. Therefore, the consequence of the Chancellor to badume responsibilities as party leader is the good one.

If we want to save the Union as a popular party, we must demand to redefine the action of the government. If we find that we have lost a lot of young voters to the benefit of the Greens, a lot of older people to the benefit of the AfD and even left, there is something wrong with the CDU. That's why we have to recover by program, and the best is to do it with a new president.

WORLD: Friedrich Merz would have declared his candidacy. Does it defend the renewal you desire?

Hans: It does not really represent renewal. But we should treat all applications in a reasonable way. We need a competition of ideas. Certainly, one or the other will decide if he will throw his hat in the ring until the meeting of the board of directors in a week.

We have always been told that there was no one except Merkel; now, three of them have already declared their willingness to stand for election. Now, suddenly it should be too much? We do not have to justify diversity. We are well prepared, also thanks to the preliminary works of Angela Merkel.

WORLD: In addition to Merz, Secretary General Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and Health Minister Jens Spahn have already declared their candidacy. Who beats your heart?

Hans: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has clearly demonstrated in her work as general secretary that she could also be party leader. She left a state office in Saarland to become general secretary. The fact that she has now declared her candidacy for the presidency is the next logical step, and I am delighted – also because it is honest to do it today. As Prime Minister, she showed how to get more than 40% as a CDU.

With this value, she is now alone in the country. No one in the Union, like them, can talk about an election campaign in which, under the most difficult conditions – Martin Schulz's hype broke out – a furious victory for the CDU could be won. She can win elections, she can motivate the party. That's what we need. In addition, there is no harm in maintaining a good connection between the party headquarters and the Chancery.

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WORLD: Will this office be too early for Kramp-Karrenbauer?

Hans: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has never asked for the right moment. She gave up a coalition in Saarland because she thought the country deserved a better policy. It has disadvantages, yes, the risk of defeat is accepted. And she recently abandoned the secure state office for a party office.

WORLD: Would that be a problem if there were really a selection of candidates for the convention and you did not get along before?

Hans: We will review and discuss the offers in the committees. A choice of candidates, between which delegates can then decide, could be one of the solutions. That would not be a problem for me.

WORLD: Firstly, the CDU tried Sunday with Autosuggestion. Everyone said that everything was not so wild, we can rule in Hesse. On Monday morning, the Chancellor countered this tactic with her decision. Do not you feel a little naughty?

Hans: No, because it was clear to all that the continuation of the truce since the election of Bavaria would also have resulted in a blockage. Despite what was said on Sunday, it is clear that a renewal was needed. However, we simply would not have expected Angela Merkel to connect this renewal immediately and consistently with her person.

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WORLD: If the grand coalition separates in Berlin, new elections would be the consequence, said Kramp-Karrenbauer. Do you share this point of view?

Hans: We should design the work of the government so that the coalition does not separate. We are facing this task. To do this, we need to formulate projects that are important to all three of us. A simple calendar, presented by Andrea Nahles for the SPD, is not enough. There is new content and the end of the ongoing conflict between them.

WORLD: Kramp-Karrenbauer said the government should now work on three projects. What do you think it should be?

Hans: We must secure our jobs. We need to better confront people with the changes related to artificial intelligence. In China, artificial intelligence is the hot topic, here is the refugee crisis. It leads me more. Moreover, we must do more for the equality of living conditions in Germany.

The gap between burgeoning regions and remote areas needs to pull together. Finally, before the European elections, we must put more emphasis on Europe. We need to better explain the role we play as a nation in the EU. We must be concerned about the possibility of securing the Schengen area outside and keeping it open inwards.

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WORLD: Do you expect the AfD, which has been demanding for years "Merkel must leave", now losing part of its electorate?

Hans: We can not rest on our laurels and hope that with such a personnel decision, competition will disappear again. It would be naive. If one or the other of the supporters of the AfD finds its way to the CDU because we are introducing a new team, we are of course delighted.