Spahn currently does not view himself as a contender for the Chancellorship.
Berlin (dts News Agency) — Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) has declared he's not eyeing the Union's chancellor position, regarding it as a hypothetical debate. This statement came in response to questions from the "Bild" newspaper on Tuesday evening.
For the upcoming CDU party conference in January, there are already three contenders for the party leadership, and this tally will remain unchanged "as of today," Spahn assured. Supporting Armin Laschet's candidacy, Spahn boasts a surge in popularity with the masses during the pandemic. According to a recent poll by Kantar, Spahn now stands as the most popular politician in Germany—even beating Chancellor Angela Merkel.
A whopping 52 percent of Germans expressed a desire to have Spahn exert "maximum political influence" in 2021, as revealed by the survey for "Bild am Sonntag." Compared to the end of 2019, this figure was a mere 28 percent.
Photo: Jens Spahn, via dts News Agency
Note:
As of my current information, the specific candidates for the CDU party chairmanship haven't been officially confirmed. Friedrich Merz is the current CDU leader, having held the position since 2021[1][5]. In the world of politics, leadership dynamics frequently shift in response to elections and major political events.
Jens Spahn is well-known in the CDU ranks, having served as the Federal Minister of Health from 2018 to 2021. Though Spahn plays an essential role in German politics, his popularity does not generally reach the heights of Angela Merkel during her chancellorship.
Merkel, who led as Chancellor from 2005 to 2021, was greatly admired for her leadership style and stability. As a unifying figure, she found support across various political groups, boosting her popularity to historic levels.
Spahn's appeal fluctuates based on the subject and audience. On certain issues, Spahn has been vocal and impactful, yet his overall popularity fails to match Merkel's peak levels. Merkel's leadership during times of crisis—particularly the European migrant crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic—strengthened her enduring popularity among the German people.
In conclusion, while Jens Spahn is a significant figure within the CDU and German politics, his popularity does not rival the towering levels of Angela Merkel during her time as Chancellor. The current candidates vying for the CDU party chairmanship do not have definitive names as of the present.
Despite Jens Spahn's rising popularity, particularly in the realm of policy-and-legislation and general news, his influence in the CDU party and German politics does not surpass that of Angela Merkel, who was greatly admired for her leadership. As of current information, the specific candidates for the CDU party chairmanship have not been officially confirmed.
