SPD general secretary Lars Klingbeil, FDP general secretary Volker Wissing and the political federal manager of the Greens, Michael Kellner, inform in Berlin about the status of the coalition negotiations.
Previously, the newspapers of the Funke media group reported that the partners of a possible future traffic light coalition wanted to introduce the planned 3-G rule for domestic flights as well. So far, the SPD, Greens and FDP had envisaged the 3G obligation for buses and trains. Passengers must then be vaccinated, recovered or tested.
SPD General Secretary Klingbeil, meanwhile, dampened expectations of a quick decision on partial compulsory vaccination. “The debate about compulsory vaccination is there, but it has not yet been decided,” he told RTL / ntv. “We will see in the next few weeks whether we can initiate compulsory vaccination or not,” adds Klingbeil. The compulsory vaccination for certain occupational groups is a difficult question to weigh up. (11/16/2021)
Merz receives support from Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt
Ex-Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz can count on support from Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt for his candidacy for the CDU chairmanship. Christian Hirte, head of the Thuringian CDU, told the news portal “ThePioneer”: “After many conversations, I have the impression that Friedrich Merz has the greatest support in Thuringia.” He thinks that the Sauerland “with a strong team can cover the breadth of the party and lead to new successes”. The chairman of the CDU in Saxony-Anhalt, Sven Schulze, also spoke out in favor of Merz: “According to all the feedback from my regional association, there is a very clear preference for Friedrich Merz.” (11/16/2021)
Merz nominated as a candidate for CDU chairmanship
Ex-Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz is running for the third time in a row for the CDU chairmanship. The board of his CDU district association Hochsauerland nominated the 66-year-old unanimously on Monday evening in a digital meeting for the upcoming member survey on the future party chairman. In addition to Merz, the foreign politician Norbert Röttgen and the executive head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, have announced their candidacy to succeed Armin Laschet. The new chairman is to be elected by the 1001 delegates at a party congress in Hanover on January 21, following a member survey planned for December. Röttgen was unanimously nominated on Monday evening by the CDU district executive for Rhein-Sieg.
Merz explained his candidacy at the meeting, according to a press release. He was quoted as saying: “I thank the members of my district executive for the nomination and I apply again for the office of chairman of the CDU in Germany.” He would also like to thank “the many members and voters of the Union who have encouraged me to run”. On this Tuesday afternoon he will “introduce my part of the new CDU leadership team that is applying with me in Berlin,” said Merz.
CDU district chief Matthias Kerkhoff said: “We support this application with full conviction and will support Friedrich Merz on his way. He can rely on his CDU in the Hochsauerlandkreis.”
Röttgen was nominated by the CDU district committee for Rhein-Sieg. The executive head of the Chancellery, Helge Braun, was unanimously proposed by his CDU district association in Giessen on Friday. This means that all three candidates meet the formal requirements for participating in the survey of around 400,000 party members about the future party leadership, which will start at the beginning of December.
The application deadline for further candidates to succeed the chairman Armin Laschet, who failed after less than a year, runs until 6 p.m. this Wednesday. Then proposals must be submitted in writing to the CDU federal office. In the CDU, preparations are in full swing for a round of introductions to candidates for the successor to Laschet. According to information from the German Press Agency in Berlin, there should be at least one format in which all applicants introduce themselves to the members and which is also broadcast on the Internet or on television, for example. (15.11.2021)