Berlin, Jan. 15, (dpa/GNA) – German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives are set to launch a party conference on Friday ahead of a key vote on Saturday, which could represent a first step towards selecting her successor.
The race for the leadership of the Christian Democrats (CDU) appears wide open. There are three candidates on the ballot: Armin Laschet, who is premier of Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine Westphalia, corporate lawyer Friedrich Merz and foreign policy expert Norbert Roettgen.
The vote comes at the start of a crucial year in German politics, with national elections set for September. Merkel plans to retire from politics at the end of her current fourth term.
Traditionally, the CDU leader would spearhead the election campaign as chancellor candidate for the heavyweight party and its Bavarian-based allies, the Christian Social Union (CSU).
But this year, other possible contenders to lead the CDU-CSU into the election have emerged, notably CSU leader Markus Soeder, who is also the Bavarian premier and one of Germany’s most popular politicians.
A decision on the parties’ chancellor candidate is expected in March.
The two-day CDU convention has already been delayed twice due to the coronavirus. The conference of 1,001 party delegates will be held online for the first time.
The new leader will take over from Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the anointed successor in Merkel’s retirement plan, who however failed to stamp her authority on the party and announced that she would step aside in February last year.
Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel and Soeder are scheduled to speak at the event on Friday evening.
GNA