Michael Kretschmer announces his candidacy for the presidency of the CDU

Until now, the former Federal Minister of the Interior, Thomas de Maizière, has served on the CDU presidium for the states of East Germany. Although he is from Wessi, he has been living in Saxony for a long time. Today, de Maizière resigns and succeeds Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer as the successor to the December federal party elections. "Saxony and the East need a strong voice in the direction of the CDU party in Berlin," he told SPIEGEL. "Acting structural changes in Lusatia and Central Germany, rural development and the expansion of the digital infrastructure, we need a clear commitment on the part of the federal party . "

For Kretschmer, the position is also important because next year, in Saxony, is elected. The executive of the CDU has already appointed him. Apart from him, the provincial party Marco Wanderwitz, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Minister of the Interior, Horst Seehofer, wants to appeal to the federal executive of the CDU. "We, the Saxons, badume that two leadership candidates do not constitute an unjustified demand," said Wanderwitz. Until now, Saxony is represented in the federal executive by Bundestag deputy parliamentarian Arnold Vaatz, who will not participate in the competition.

Personal details may still be controversial, since another CDU East German country chief could raise the finger for one of the Bureau's seven Beisitzerplätze: Thüringen CDU leader Mike Mohring , who wants to run for national elections next year, the leftist prime minister, Bodo To defeat Ramelow, should be interested in a candidacy, as reported by the "General Thuringia".

Mohring has not yet officially submitted his candidacy. But his supporters point out that Kretschmer, as acting Prime Minister, could also go to the Bureau without an election because he could be co-opted. The Thuringian CDU wants to decide at the next meeting of the board of its choice to nominate Mohring as a candidate for the presidency.