For the first time in the history of the party, all members could decide who should become its new chairman: Helge Braun, Norbert Röttgen or Friedrich Merz. The press conference at 2 p.m. in the livestream.
Helge Braun, Friedrich Merz or Norbert Röttgen – who will be the new chairman of the CDU? In the afternoon the party announces the result of its member survey. Almost two thirds of the approximately 400,000 CDU members took part in this. If none of the three members of the Bundestag achieves an absolute majority, there will be a runoff election in which anyone belonging to the CDU can take part again. The press conference with the three applicants and CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak begins at 2 p.m. and can be seen here in the live stream.
“Almost a quarter of a million took part in the #member survey, almost two thirds of all @CDU members. Thank you for this strong participation!” the CDU tweeted on Thursday. According to information from the CDU, 248,360 people took part in the survey, 64.3 percent of all party book owners. The CDU wrote on Twitter that a total of 132,617 members had cast an online vote (53.4 percent), 115,743 members had voted by letter (46.6 percent).
It is the first time in the history of the CDU that the members can make a preliminary decision on the chairmanship. For the successor of party leader Armin Laschet, ex-Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz, the foreign politician Norbert Röttgen and the previous head of the chancellery Helge Braun had applied. Laschet was only elected CDU chief at the beginning of 2021. After the defeat in the federal election, for which he ran as the top candidate, the party now wants to reposition itself in the opposition.
From a purely formal point of view, the vote of the members is non-binding. According to the statutes of the CDU, the chairman is determined by a party congress. This takes place on 21./22. January in digital form. However, it is certain that the 1001 delegates will stick to the vote of the members. Merz, Röttgen and Braun have already promised to accept this, so that in all probability only one candidate will stand at the party congress.