The CDU federal executive board unanimously decided that the next CDU boss should be elected by membership vote – a procedure that is completely new for the party. In addition, it had been decided that the next federal party conference should be held on January 21st and 22nd. The formal election takes place at this party congress, where the delegates should formally determine the Laschet successor.
Laschet and CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak explain this at a press conference in the afternoon. First of all, Laschet talks for a long time about the Corona crisis and the climate conference in Glasgow, he mentions the reorganization of the CDU only in third place. Nobody should say that the still ruling CDU party is no longer doing politics. The conferences of the CDU district chairmen last weekend were “very successful,” said Laschet. In the phase in which the CDU is currently, it is the right way to involve the party base in the decision on the chairmanship. One will not change the statutes of the party, but “once” choose the form of the member’s decision to determine the party chairmanship.
The former Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz, the foreign politician Norbert Röttgen and the executive health minister Jens Spahn are said to have ambitions for the CDU party chairmanship. The economic politician Carsten Linnemann and Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus are also in discussion.
These five possible applicants took part in a closed meeting of the North Rhine-Westphalian CDU members of the Bundestag in Bergisch Gladbach on Monday. On the sidelines, the future line-up of the party may have been discussed. Schleswig-Holstein’s prime minister and CDU state chief Daniel Günther demanded in the New Osnabrück Newspaperthat “women must be strongly represented” in the new leadership.
Laschet was only elected chairman last January. After the historically poor result of 24.1 percent in the federal election, he is giving up the chair. The party wants to be able to act again quickly, because state elections are due to be held in Saarland on March 27th. On May 8th, a new parliament will be elected in Schleswig-Holstein and on May 15th in North Rhine-Westphalia. The CDU provides the prime minister in all three federal states. Defeats there, as just now in the federal government, would massively increase the party’s problems.
“Now is the time for the members,” says Secretary General Ziemiak. There will be three phases for the election of the party leader. The nomination phase begins on November 6th, and the individual branches of the party can propose candidates. The introductory phase begins on November 18th. The proposed candidates should present themselves to the members in various online formats. From December 4th to 16th, voting will take place, either via online voting or postal voting. The result will be announced on December 17th. If none of the candidates receives an absolute majority, there will be a runoff election until January 14th. However, there are no regional conferences to introduce the candidates. (11/02/2021)
SPD parliamentary group leader plans with new party leadership
After the announced withdrawal of Norbert Walter-Borjans from the party leadership, the SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich asked the co-chairwoman Saskia Esken to renounce the chairmanship if she wants to become a minister. “I think concentrating on one position is already challenging enough,” he said in the “Interview of the Week” on Deutschlandfunk. “That’s how Saskia Esken started two years ago, ultimately insisting on this independence. And I believe that she is smart enough to know that what was successful two years ago will continue to be the case in the future need to map. “
He expects Esken to explain himself accordingly. “It would be good if the party knew what it was about,” said Mützenich. Esken is one of the SPD representatives in the coalition negotiations with the Greens and the FDP and is considered a candidate for a ministerial office. However, Esken had announced in the summer that he wanted to run again for the federal chairmanship of her party.
The SPD dual leadership has proven itself in the eyes of the parliamentary group leader. “I assume that it will continue to be a double leadership,” he said. When asked about Secretary General Lars Klingbeil and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig as potential candidates for party leadership, he kept a low profile. “I don’t want to anticipate a personal decision by two outstanding candidates.” There is also time for that. Schwesig leaves a candidacy open. The SPD now has the first order to form a federal government.
Walter-Borjans had it Rheinische Post saidthat he will not run again for the chairmanship at the party congress from December 10th to 12th. In 2019, he and Esken emerged from the SPD members as the winner of an elaborate choice of candidates. The executive finance minister and SPD candidate for chancellor Olaf Scholz has made it clear that he does not claim the party chairmanship. Mützenich also warned against making the possible re-election of Frank-Walter Steinmeier as Federal President the subject of staff talks as part of the formation of the government. (10/31/2021)
CDU politicians want a basic vote in the election of the new party leader
The CDU politicians Norbert Röttgen and Carsten Linnemann have spoken out in favor of a member survey for the selection of the new CDU chief before the conference of the CDU district chairmen. “If in this particular situation a considerable part of the grassroots announces that the members want to be an active part of the new beginning and therefore want a member survey, then I welcome and support that,” said Röttgen of the Funke media group. “This wish should not be rejected.”
The 326 CDU district chairmen meet on Saturday to discuss whether there should be a member survey. A decision on the procedure for selecting the new party leadership should then only be made in the CDU federal executive on next Monday. After the Union’s defeat in the federal elections, CDU leader Armin Laschet had declared that he wanted to withdraw from the party leadership, but wanted to moderate the transition.
Like Linnemann, Röttgen is one of the possible candidates for the party chairmanship. Like Union parliamentary group vice Linnemann, he left it open whether he would run for chairmanship again. “I am in favor of a team solution. I like to play a role in a team, in whatever function,” said Linnemann on ARD when asked about a candidacy. This team absolutely needs a broad line-up and women. So far, with the economic politician Friedrich Merz, Röttgen, Linnemann, Health Minister Jens Spahn and CDU / CSU parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus, five CDU politicians from North Rhine-Westphalia have been considered possible candidates for the party chairmanship. According to a survey for the ARD “Morgenmagazin”, Merz has a preference over Röttgen and Spahn.
Linnemann also urges a CDU federal party conference to elect a new leadership in December. This is necessary because important state elections are due in 2022 and the party has to sort out quickly. (October 29, 2021)
Lindner wants to stick to the commuter flat rate
FDP leader Christian Lindner has announced a review of federal subsidies to finance the plans of the coalition negotiators of the SPD, the Greens and his party – but he is sticking to the commuter allowance. During the election campaign, the Greens demanded that they be limited. The reduction of subsidies should “not result in a tax increase for the working middle class, as would be the case with the commuter allowance,” said Lindner from Düsseldorf Rheinische Post.
Instead, he questioned the funding for hybrid cars with combustion engines and separately chargeable electric motors: “For example, we are spending one billion euros in subsidies for plug-in vehicles that have no reliable ecological benefit,” said Lindner.
“In any case, projects should be prioritized. Not everything can be done immediately,” said the free democrat, who wants to become finance minister. “The state has a lot of money, but there is often a lack of directional decisions. My suggestion is that, in the coming years, we give public investment priority over new consumer spending by the state.”
Lindner wants to stimulate private investments in climate protection and digitization by accelerating operational depreciation “to two or three years”. Such investments could be promoted by public promotional banks such as KfW. For them he suggested an increase in equity or more federal guarantees for KfW loans.
In contrast, the FDP sees subsidies such as those proposed by the Greens and the SPD with skepticism. “There are deadweight effects. Development loans, on the other hand, require private joint liability and co-financing. In any case, there are better instruments than shadow budgets beyond parliamentary control that others have brought up for discussion.” (October 29, 2021)