Armin Laschet
NRW Prime Minister new chairman of the CDU
Armin Laschet at the digital party conference of the CDU
© imago images / Hartenfelser
New party leader for the Christian Democratic Union: Armin Laschet was elected in a runoff election against Friedrich Merz.
The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has a new party leader: In a runoff election against fellow candidate Friedrich Merz (65), North Rhine-Westphalia's Prime Minister Armin Laschet (59) prevailed. 521 delegates voted for Laschet, 466 for Merz.
Norbert Röttgen (55) was eliminated as the third-placed candidate after a first ballot. In the first round Merz got 385 votes, 380 went to Laschet and 224 to Röttgen. Merz and Laschet then had to go to the runoff election at the digital CDU party congress. The winner has to be confirmed by postal vote.
Merz lost to Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (58) in 2018. This was elected chairwoman in Berlin in December. At the beginning of 2020 it became known that Kramp-Karrenbauer would give up the chairmanship of the party and would not run for chancellor.