The CDU member of the Bundestag, Philipp Amthor, urges the members to participate in a reorganization of the party leadership. After the previous decisions on the chairmanship and candidacy for chancellor, it is important to think the party base and leadership together so that there is no “legends”, said the CDU politician on Deutschlandfunk. “It is clear that the party base must now be involved.” One could not afford to change the chairman every few months. “We now need a solution that is widely accepted.” The federal executive had to make a decision on how the procedure could look. There are different options.
Several top politicians recently called for a member survey on the future party leadership. Other leading CDU politicians consider such a survey to be problematic because if the result is unclear, it could lead to further division. “The CDU Germany has no better organ to consider the basis than the party congress,” said Bundestag President Wolfgang Schäuble, for example.
Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet announced last week that he wanted to moderate the renewal process and propose a party congress to the bodies to reorganize. This Monday he wants to present his plans to the federal executive board.
Laschet had put aside his own ambitions in terms of personnel realignment and also for possible further negotiations with the Greens and FDP about a Jamaica alliance. However, he did not give a date for a withdrawal from the party leadership. Laschet is likely to hope that there is still a power option if the SPD, the Greens and the FDP fall out in the negotiations over a traffic light government.
Possible candidates for Laschet’s successor in the office of CDU party leader include Health Minister Jens Spahn, foreign expert Norbert Röttgen, economic expert Friedrich Merz and parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus.