Who will succeed Angela Merkel?

Who will succeed Angela Merkel?

There are five candidates in the race, points out Austrian daily "Standard".

The paper reminds that the CDU assembly had to be postponed twice because of the coronavirus, and it is now scheduled for January 16, when a new party leader should be elected, and the meeting with 1.001 delegates will be digital.

Incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel officially does not want to interfere in the search for her successor.

The leader of the sister party CSU, Markus Söder, Bavarian state premier, also has the final word on who will be the chancellor.

For now, as the daily points out, it is uncertain whether he wants to run for chancellor, because so far he has always said that he belongs to Bavaria.

As the candidate for the head of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), former Minister of Environmental Protection Norbert Röttgen would leave the position of chancellor to him, but other contenders Friedrich Merz and the current Minister-president of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, would not do that.

Laschet runs the race for the position of the head of the CDU, who, when asked why he is the best candidate, says that no one can lead a party if he has not occupied a ruling position for at least one day.

Since 2017, Laschet has been the prime minister of the most populous province in Germany, where he was also the minister for integration.

If he would be chosen as the head of the CDU, according to the "Standard", it would not mean turning his back on the Merkel era, because Laschet supported the chancellor's policy for years and stood by her especially on the issue of asylum policy.

During the coronavirus crisis, however, there were differences, as Merkel was in favor of imposing strict restrictions, while Laschet asked for mitigating measures. Minister of Health Jens Spahn is also among the contenders, but he would like to rule together with Laschet. "Standard" points out that according to his idea, Laschet should be the head of the party, and he would assume a deputy role.

Two years ago, Spahn wanted to lead the CDU on his own, but he lost in 2018 against Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who did not stay at the helm of the party for long.

A couple of years ago, Span was considered a critic of Merkel regarding the asylum policy, and thus won over the conservative fraction of the party.

However, after that, Merkel brought him to the government, so Spahn concentrated on his portfolio.

In the fight against the coronavirus, his popularity has grown, which is why many think that he should take the place of the party leader.

But Spahn is loyal to Laschet, and since he is only 40 years old, he thinks he will have more chances.

The next candidate is Friedrich Merz, the former head of the parliamentary club, who is considered a great opponent of Chancellor Merkel.

In 2002, Merkel pushed him from the position of the head of the parliamentary club, which he has not forgiven her until today, "Standard" claims.

Merz, after ten years of withdrawal from politics, tried to become the head of the CDU in 2018, but lost closely against Kramp-Karrenbauer.

Merz is supported primarily by the south and east of Germany, and if he becomes the head of the party, he intends to run for chancellor.

The next contender is Norbert Röttgen, a former environment minister who has not been credited for a long time with being able to take over the CDU.

Merkel expelled him from the government when he objected to moving to Dusseldorf as the leader of the opposition in the province of North Rhine and Westphalia, after losing the 2012 elections.

After resolving the issue of the head of the CDU, the question will arise as to who will lead the election campaign as a candidate for the future chancellor.