CDU district chairmen want a member survey for Laschet’s successor
Who will succeed Armin Laschet, the head of the CDU? The party members should decide on this
Source: dpa / Bernd Thissen
A large majority of the CDU district chairmen have spoken out in favor of a member survey in order to find a new party chairman. In the opinion of still party leader Armin Laschet, this vote should be binding.
B.According to WELT information, an overwhelming majority voted in favor of a member survey to find a new party chairman at the CDU district chairmen’s conference in Berlin’s Hotel Central District. In the vote by show of hands initiated by still party leader Armin Laschet, there were only a handful of dissenting votes among the 325 present.
This means that the federal executive board has to decide on the procedure for initiating a member survey on Tuesday. Laschet explained at the conference that, from his point of view, the outcome of the basic vote is also binding for the party congress. For that he got a lot of applause.
The CDU statute, on the other hand, does not provide for any binding character, but politically a party congress can hardly make any other decision. So far, no candidate has declared himself to be the successor to Laschet. This is expected in the next few days.
The CDU had invited its 326 district and 27 district chairmen to Berlin to review the historically poor result of the Bundestag election of 24.1 percent and to discuss the procedure for electing the new party leadership.
Even before the start of the conference, the call for greater involvement of the members in this decision had been loud. At the conference hotel, members of the Junge Union unfurled a banner that read “CDU membership decision now!”.
Members of the Junge Union call for the membership decision for the successor to the top of the CDU at the district chairman meeting in Berlin
Source: dpa / Ulrich Steinkohl
The CDU politician Friedrich Merz, who is being treated as one of the possible new chairmen, told WELT AM SONNTAG: “It was right and necessary to include the district chairmen of the CDU in the opinion-forming process. The presidium and the federal board should follow the clear vote on Tuesday and initiate a member survey if there is more than one candidate. In the meantime, we should also work on an amicable solution. “
The other potential candidate, foreign politician Norbert Röttgen, also told WELT AM SONNTAG: “I welcome and support the decision of the district chairperson. It expresses that the members want to be an active part of the new beginning of the CDU. That is something very positive and should be welcomed and implemented by the Presidium and the Federal Executive Committee. ”Röttgen has not yet declared himself.
JU triumphs because of its clear mood
The chairman of the Junge Union Tilman Kuban told WELT AM SONNTAG: “The mood of the district chairman conference is clear: We will ask the members who the next party chairman will be and the subsequent party conference should take place this year if possible. The CDU is thus continuing the path of a new beginning called for by the Junge Union last year towards a modern people’s party. Motivated members are essential for this. “
The Hamburg CDU chairman Christoph Ploß told WELT AM SONNTAG: “The vote is clear and should be respected by everyone. This will pacify and unite the CDU again. ”It is important that a team is set up now and that there is cohesion and continuity. “With a view to the state elections next year, the process should be completed quickly, preferably by Christmas.”
Lower Saxony’s CDU chairman Bernd Althusmann said: “Should there be a controversial personnel decision for the CDU federal chairman or the federal chairman, a member survey is very useful from my point of view.” The CDU should “use the member instrument much more”.