A compromise at the parliamentary group chairmanship prevents an impending candidacy for a fight. The MPs give the ailing CDU leader Armin Laschet a shaky mandate for explorations with the Greens and the FDP.
The CDU leader Armin Laschet gave himself a political respite with the parliamentary group meeting of the CDU and CSU on Tuesday.
Clemens Bilan / EPA
CDU and CSU have initially defused a power struggle in the Bundestag faction through a compromise. In their first meeting after the election, on Tuesday evening in Berlin, the MPs followed the proposal of party leaders Armin Laschet (CDU) and Markus Söder (CSU) to confirm the previous parliamentary group leader, Ralph Brinkhaus (CDU), but to shorten his term of office to six months . Brinkhaus had not wanted to accept Laschet’s original proposal to only be provisionally elected and insisted on a one-year term of office. He also refused to postpone the election.
With his consent to a shortening of the term of office of one year For six months, Brinkhaus finally prevented a candidate for a fight for the parliamentary group chairmanship. During the course of Tuesday, various media reported that Health Minister Jens Spahn, foreign politician Norbert Röttgen and the former parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz wanted to throw their hat into the ring. In the parliamentary group meeting, Laschet praised her willingness to agree to the compromise and to put aside her own ambitions as a strong signal of community. He fears that a parliamentary group leader elected with poor results and in an open dispute could give the potential coalition partners – the Greens and the FDP – cause for doubt about the Union’s ability to govern.
Laschet continues to hope for the Jamaica Alliance
The election of the parliamentary group chairman had also become a political issue because, according to observers, Laschet wants to secure the option of the office of opposition leader if the SPD succeeds in forming a government. His own candidacy at this point in time seemed to him to be too risky in view of the fact that the faction had shrunk and was unpredictable as a result of the historical defeat.
The Brinkhaus, who was confirmed in office with 85 percent approval, in an interview with the ARD, however, gave thoughts late on Tuesday evening that he was a placeholder for Laschet. “Armin Laschet will definitely not run for chairman of the parliamentary group if we go into the opposition,” said Brinkhaus. He therefore does not see himself as a “placeholder” in this post. As party chairman, Laschet is also well employed in the event of opposition.
According to indiscretions from the parliamentary group meeting, Laschet is still hoping for a so-called Jamaica alliance to be able to shape with the Greens and the FDP under his leadership. He sees himself strengthened by signals from the FDP, which is supposedly critical of a traffic light coalition with the SPD and the Greens. “Don’t give up on Jamaica so quickly,” the candidate for chancellor was quoted from among participants.
Despite some severe criticism of Laschet’s election campaign, the parliamentary group seems to have a chance of one Wanting to use the formation of a government under the leadership of the Union. From parliamentary groups it was heard that Laschet had a shaky mandate for explorations with the Greens and the FDP. In the event of failure, however, he is expected to resign as party leader. Before the meeting, Brinkhaus and the CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt had confirmed that Laschet, as party leader, would lead any explorations – in a team with the CSU leader Söder and the group leader. As party leader he was a born negotiator, explained Brinkhaus.
Strong criticism of the election campaign
The group meeting was preceded by a day of speculation, in The question of whether Laschet might announce his retirement from the party leadership on Tuesday had also arisen. Particularly on the part of the CSU, fierce criticism of the election campaign and of the candidate himself had been expressed. The CSU politician Dobrindt spoke of the “most unnecessary election defeat in decades”. The CSU boss Söder also said that he saw the task of forming a government with the SPD and not the Union.
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