Armin Laschet: The new CDU leader and his roots

Armin Laschet
The new CDU leader and his roots

You like him, Armin Laschet (60), who can do so much more in terms of body language than all competitors, be they friends or enemies. None of them can recite dull political language so lovingly lulling in the soft singsong of his moderate Aachen dialect. The front hair fringes of his parting fall into his forehead, the eyes look honest-hearted, with a slight hint of mischief. So he looks after the right thing, "the dear boy". And when he smiles, the true master of mime play shows himself. At most, the great Norbert Blüm (1935-2020) could grin that engagingly mischievous.

Armin Laschet is one of the younger hopes among the Christian Democrats. One to whom the near future belongs. He will be 60 on February 18.

Laschet's roots in Aachen

His hometown Aachen (approx. 250,000 inhabitants) shaped him, the 1,200 year old cathedral with the grave of Emperor Charlemagne. The mild Rhenish Catholicism. The liberal climate of Aachen, which is considered the most European German city not only because of its close proximity to Belgium and the Netherlands. The largely cheerful way of life of the Rhinelander, who don't like to say "no" and for whom a "maybe" is the highest feeling of rejection.

Laschet is a typical Rhinelander. He loves harmony, he tries to settle contradictions in an amicable way. But that does not mean that he generally avoids difficulties. In return, his self-esteem and self-esteem can hardly be shaken. You can see that right now. In the Corona crisis, NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet is one of the main characters, like his Bavarian colleague Markus Söder (54).

Actually he is not a real Rhinelander in the umpteenth generation, but a pure-born European. The family comes from Walloon (mainly French-speaking) Belgium. Grandfather Hubert Laschet moved from Kelmis in East Belgium to Aachen in the 1920s. Father Heinrich was a miner, then became a teacher and head of a primary school in Aachen. He made it possible for his son Armin and his three younger brothers to study.

According to his official résumé, Laschet studied law and political science in Munich and Bonn – and became a journalist. He completed a traineeship at the Munich radio station 95.5 Charivari, after which he worked for Bavarian television and finally in Bonn as a political correspondent for Bavarian radio. He was already married by then.

The influential father-in-law

He met his wife Susanne (59) in the youth choir, as she said in the "Kölner Treff". The choir was directed by Susanne's father, Heinz Malangré (1930-2017), who would also play a role in his son-in-law's professional life. Like the Laschets, Malangré's family also came from Wallonia, and Heinz Malangré was a brother of Opus Dei member, politician and Mayor of Aachen, Kurt Malangré (1934-2018). Heinz Malangré was also an influential man in Aachen, especially in the diocese of Aachen.

At his suggestion, Armin Laschet became editor-in-chief of the "KirchenZeitung" Aachen in 1991 and from 1995 to 1999 the publishing director of the Catholic Einhard-Verlag, where his father-in-law was a managing partner. In addition to his journalistic career, Laschet consistently pursued his political career. "I finally got into politics through my involvement in the parish. At some point a friend from the parish asked me whether I would like to come to the Junge Union, that would be something for me," he wrote about himself.

Will Laschet be a candidate for chancellor?

At 28, Armin Laschet was an honorary city councilor, he became a scientific advisor to the then President of the Bundestag Rita Süssmuth (84), joined the Bundestag in 1994 and the European Parliament in 1999. In North Rhine-Westphalia he made a career as State Minister for Family and Integration (2005-2010) and from 2017 as Prime Minister. In the elections for the CDU federal presidency in January, he prevailed against his party friends Friedrich Merz (65) and Norbert Röttgen (55).

Now it's about the whole thing. Will Armin Laschet be candidate for Chancellor and, in September, be elected Chancellor as the second Rhinelander after Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967)? His chances are not bad, especially since "the dear boy" can hope for good sympathy values ​​and no major sins tarnish his vita.

The Laschet family and Charlemagne

Then there is the matter of Charlemagne (74-814). Laschet's brother Patrick referred to the family tree of the Laschets, which goes back to Charlemagne. Do the Laschets come directly from the famous emperor?

The family answer: Maybe, maybe not. In a figurative sense, everyone in Aachen is somehow descended from the great Karl, and then possibly also the rather small Armin Laschet (1.70 meters). A typical Rhenish dialectical joke? Maybe, after all, Armin Laschet is the only Aachen resident who has received the "Order Against Animal Seriousness". Even "the little boy" has advantages over Charlemagne.

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