The re-elected Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus assumes that Armin Laschet does not want to become parliamentary group leader if the Union ends up in the opposition. “Armin Laschet will definitely not run for chairman of the parliamentary group if we go into the opposition,” said Brinkhaus on Tuesday evening in the ARD “Tagesthemen”. In this respect he is “not a placeholder and I don’t feel that way either”.
Brinkhaus was re-elected in the evening with 85 percent of the votes in the Union parliamentary group – but only until the end of April and not, as usual, for a year. Instead, Laschet will take care of the party if the Union does not rule, said Brinkhaus. “As a party chairman, you’re pretty busy.”
Should the Union actually have to go into the opposition after its election defeat, the parliamentary group chairmanship would be the most important post that would remain. Brinkhaus said in the “Tagesthemen”, CDU and CSU agree that the Greens and FDP now want to offer talks about a Jamaica coalition. It is clear that the Union cannot make any claims after the defeat against the SPD. But a Jamaica coalition is another possible option alongside the traffic lights made up of the SPD, Greens and FDP.