German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would not interfere in the search for the next Christian Democratic Union (CDU) candidate.
“I won’t interfere in the issue of who will lead the CDU in the future or who will be the candidate for chancellor,” Merkel told a news conference.
Read more: Merkel’s party struggles with identity crisis in wake of CDU leader’s departure
The announcement follows the resignation of Merkel’s previously tipped successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that she would step down after a state premier was elected with the backing of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and the CDU in the eastern state of Thuringia.
She also gave up her ambitions for running as party chair, as she said she believed one person should do both, which had been standard practice before she took over as chair.
Read more: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer — a battle is won, but the war isn’t over
The party is now scrambling to find a new candidate for the post. Potentials include Norbert Röttgen, the head of the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee and a former environment minister under Merkel; Armin Laschet, the premier of Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia; Health Minister Jens Spahn; and the CDU’s former parliamentary group leader, Friedrich Merz.
Read more: Could Angela Merkel’s CDU make a turn to the right?
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Germany’s CDU: Here’s who could replace Angela Merkel
Norbert Röttgen: Potential Greens ally
Röttgen, the newest contender, served as environment minister under Merkel from 2009-2012. He now heads the Bundestag’s foreign affairs committee. He designed Germany’s energy transition plan and is seen as someone who could work with the Greens, the party polling second. He was also part of the “Pizza Connection,” a group of CDU and Greens MPs that held meetings in the ’90s and early 2000s.
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Germany’s CDU: Here’s who could replace Angela Merkel
Armin Laschet: Affable state premier
Laschet, a journalist and former European Parliament member, has headed Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia since 2017. The liberal-conservative is a Merkel supporter — and backed her in the 2015 refugee crisis. Another “Pizza Connection” member, he is known for being able to work with both the FDP and Greens, which may be the most likely coalition setup in the next government.
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Germany’s CDU: Here’s who could replace Angela Merkel
Friedrich Merz: Longstanding Merkel critic
The former leader of the CDU/CSU grouping in the Bundestag withdrew from frontline politics in 2009. He made a surprise comeback in 2018 when he joined the CDU leadership race, losing narrowly to AKK. Merz recently quit his post as chairman at BlackRock, the world’s largest investment management firm, to “help the conservative party renew itself.” He appeals to the CDU’s conservative members.
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Germany’s CDU: Here’s who could replace Angela Merkel
Jens Spahn: Young and conservative
The 39-year-old entered the Bundestag in 2002 and became Germany’s health minister in 2018. Spahn, who is openly gay, is popular in the CDU’s conservative wing. He opposes limited dual citizenship for young foreigners, criticized attempts to loosen laws on advertising abortions, and called for banning the burqa in public.
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Germany’s CDU: Here’s who could replace Angela Merkel
Peter Altmaier: CDU’s seasoned veteran
Altmaier, known as “Merkel’s bodyguard,” has supported the chancellor’s centrist policy platform on multiple fronts. Originally from Saarland, Altmaier first worked for the European Union before entering the Bundestag in 1994. The former environment minister turned economy minister is renowned for his kitchen diplomacy and being a stickler for policy detail.
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lc/ng (Reuters)
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