Sunday, December 26th, 2021
“Federal President would fit”
Instead of Steinmeier: Union wants to propose a woman
The Union is working to ensure that Federal President Steinmeier has female competition before a possible re-election. CDU politician Guler thinks the idea is “very charming”. She puts pressure on Friedrich Merz to quickly ensure an internal party quota for women.
The CDU politician Serap Guler has spoken out in favor of the Union sending a candidate against incumbent Frank-Walter Steinmeier for the federal presidential election in February. “I find the idea very charming,” said the member of the Bundestag, who is also a member of the CDU federal executive committee, the “Spiegel”. “We now have a Federal Chancellor, a Vice Chancellor – a Federal President would fit in very well,” she said with conviction. “However: It would have to be a woman who is accepted across all parties and not an alibi candidate just to send a woman into the race,” said Guler.
Friedrich Merz and other CDU politicians had already spoken out in favor of putting up their own candidate for the federal presidential election on February 13, 2022. “From my point of view, it goes without saying that we do that,” said the future CDU chairman Friedrich Merz of “Welt”. The chairwoman of the Women’s Union, Annette Widmann-Mauz, also responded positively: “It is time for a woman as Federal President. It is absolutely natural and necessary that the highest state offices are not in the hands of just one gender.”
Union vice-parliamentary group leader Gitta Connemann said: “Women can be the best. After 72 years it is finally time for a Federal President.” The CDU member of the Bundestag and former NRW State Secretary for Integration Serap Guler also supports the initiative: “With women at the top, the CDU has set important signals, especially now that there is one man at the head of the government and two other men at his head Side, we should use the opportunity to make the social diversity visible at Bellevue Palace as well. “
SPD wants to keep Steinmeier
In an interview with “Welt am Sonntag” (WamS), NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst also advertised its own candidate. “The Union has the most electoral women and men in the Federal Assembly. We should be entitled to our own proposal.” After the Union had appointed the first female Federal Chancellor, the first Federal Defense Minister and the first female EU Commission President, it would be only logical if it also proposed the first female Federal President, said Wüst.
Leading SPD politicians, however, could not gain much from the Union initiative. “If the CDU thinks about women, it should start with its own party,” said SPD leader Lars Klingbeil. There is no reason to question Steinmeier.
The parliamentary manager of the SPD parliamentary group, Carsten Schneider, said: “Frank-Walter Steinmeier is doing an excellent and non-partisan job and he is up for re-election.” The incumbent Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze also backed Steinmeier: “We have an excellent President, whom we would like to keep.”
Guler makes demands on Merz
Inside the CDU, there is growing pressure on the upcoming party leader to advance the women’s issue. With regard to the internal women’s quota, which cannot be dealt with at the digital federal party conference in January for constitutional reasons – contrary to what was planned – Guler demanded a clear commitment from Merz. “I would like Friedrich Merz to stand up for the women’s quota, as the current federal board has decided.” The subject should no longer be postponed, she told the “Spiegel” on.
Güler, who had supported Helge Braun in the race for party chairmanship, who wanted to make her general secretary as CDU leader, promised her allegiance to Merz. “From my point of view, the differences of opinion with Friedrich Merz have been resolved, I support him unreservedly,” Guler told the magazine.