According to party circles Friedrich Merz will be the Union's candidate for chancellor
Around a year before the Bundestag elections, one thing is certain: Friedrich Merz will be the Union's candidate for chancellor. Scholz welcomes the decision and is running himself.
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- The CDU and CSU nominate Friedrich Merz as the Union's candidate for Chancellor, with the support of NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst.
- Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Merz's candidacy and announces that he will run again himself.
- Markus Söder signals his willingness to run, but wants to avoid a power struggle with Merz in order to secure a united Union.
About a year before the Bundestag elections, the CDU and CSU nominate Friedrich Merz as the Union's candidate for Chancellor. CDU leader Friedrich Merz will be the Union's candidate for chancellor. This has been reported by several news agencies, citing party circles. There is to be a joint press conference with CSU leader Markus Söder at midday, reports "Der Spiegel".
Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz supports Merz's candidacy for chancellor and emphasizes: "It is fine with me if Mr Merz is the Union's candidate for chancellor." Scholz has already announced that he will run again himself.
The decision came one day after Hendrik Wüst renounced his candidacy for chancellor. The NRW state premier declared his support for Merz. "He has reunited our party, he has made the parliamentary group capable of opposition," said Wüst about Merz.
Söder also sees himself as a candidate
It was unclear for a long time whether Markus Söder would run for chancellor. He told "Der Spiegel" that he was prepared to run again, but could also give Merz a run for his money.
Markus Söder had already shown interest in running for chancellor before the 2021 general election and fought a duel with Armin Laschet. Many later saw this power struggle as one of the reasons for the CDU/CSU's defeat. Laschet emerged weakened. Hendrik Wüst warned on Monday of a renewed conflict between the CDU and CSU: "Only a strong and united CDU/CSU in the federal government will succeed in replacing the traffic light system."