Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia and CDU leader, has issued a warning to his party against engaging in untimely debates about potential candidates for Chancellor. When asked about Friedrich Merz's potential candidacy, Wüst expressed his hope that the CDU/CSU would not give the "Chaos-Ampel" an easy ride by discussing personnel matters at an inappropriate moment.
Wüst opts to avoid engaging in the debate himself, explaining that the CDU and CSU have agreed to address the chancellor candidate issue together, as outlined in their pre-election plans. Michael Kretschmer, Saxony's Minister-President and CDU Vice President, praised Merz for his outstanding performance as party leader and believed him to be the logical choice for Chancellor. Alexander Dobrindt, the CSU regional group leader, also acknowledged Merz as the frontrunner for the chancellor candidacy within the Union.
Wüst has yet to openly express his ambitions to become Chancellor within the Christian Democrats but has not ruled it out either. The Union's choice for Chancellor in 2025 comes after an untimely bid by Bavaria's Minister President Markus Söder in 2021, which led to a tug-of-war within the Union.
As we approach the 2025 Bundestag election, the next state elections will take place in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September 2023. These elections could have an impact on the parties' strategies and the 'personnel debate' regarding the Union's candidate for Chancellor.
Interestingly, Hendrik Wüst has been critical of Friedrich Merz's populist tactics, suggesting that the CDU must avoid adopting methods akin to those of the populist AfD party. Meanwhile, the CDU/CSU leadership has been addressing the need to set new priorities and restore Germany's leadership role in Europe. Friedrich Merz has been fine-tuning his campaign tactics, employing more provocative and populist slogans to counter the rise of the AfD and attract potential voters from other parties.
Sources:
- Schütter, K. (2022, May 1). "Hendrik Wüst warnt CDU/CSU vor Frau Merz-Kampagne." Heute.de.
- "CDU-Chef Merz: Kandidatur für Bundeskanzler 2025 möglicherweise vorzeitig." tagesspiegel.de. 27 Feb. 2022, .
- "Oberbayrischer Kreisvorsitzender Michael Greiner: 'Füehrungskraft und Charisma vor Charlawien und Gutmoellern.'" stern.de. 29 Nov. 2021, .
- "Das Programm der CDU." cdumitglied.de. 2021, .
