Berlin, April 11, (dpa/GNA) – Bavaria’s state premier Markus Soeder says both he and the Christian Democrats’ party leader Armin Laschet are willing to lead German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU into September elections, sources say.
Laschet and he had a friendly exchange on Saturday, Soeder said according to sources at a meeting of CDU party leaders on Sunday. “We have both declared we are ready,” Soeder said.
Soeder said the race was about the success of the party overall and the best for the country, and if the CDU was ready to support him, he would step up. He also called for participation of the parliamentary faction in making that decision.
Previously, Soeder, who leads CDU’s regional sister party CSU, had remained coy about his ambitions, regularly insisting his political home remains in Bavaria.
GNA