Thursday, December 16, 2021
Member survey ended
Quarter of a million determined new CDU boss
Three candidates are applying to the CDU to succeed party leader Laschet. For the first time, the members use a survey to determine who it could ultimately become. The party is already satisfied with the participation.
In the CDU, almost two thirds of the 400,000 or so members took part in the survey about the next party leader. “Almost a quarter of a million took part in the #member survey, almost two thirds of all @CDU members. Thank you for this strong participation!” Tweeted the CDU. Accordingly, 248,360 members took part in the survey – 64.3 percent of all party book owners.
The CDU wrote on Twitter that a total of 132,617 members had cast an online vote (53.4 percent), 115,743 members had voted by letter (46.6 percent). It is the first time in the history of the CDU that the members can make a preliminary decision on the chairmanship. CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak wants to announce the result of the survey this Friday (2 p.m.).
For the successor of party leader Armin Laschet, ex-Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz, the foreign politician Norbert Röttgen and the former head of the chancellery Helge Braun apply. It is exciting to see whether one of the candidates received the necessary absolute majority of 50 percent plus x in the first ballot. If none of the applicants receive more than 50 percent of the votes, a second ballot will be necessary. This would start on December 29th and last until January 12th.
According to the CDU’s plans, the result of a possible second round will be announced on January 14th. Officially, the new chairman of the 1001 delegates has to attend a digital party congress on 21./22. January to be elected. It is considered certain that the delegates will stick to the vote of the members. The choice must then be confirmed by postal vote.
“That has a high potential for pacification”
As a consequence of its disaster in the federal election, the CDU wants to reposition itself in the opposition. According to Hesse’s Prime Minister Volker Bouffier, the member survey about a candidate for the CDU chairmanship will bring more calm to the party. “We have decided to question the members, and the members will make a decision. That has a high potential for pacification,” said the CDU federal vice-president in Wiesbaden. “In any case, it is good if we have a decision now. This situation, which has basically occupied us for two and a half years, is not good for a party.”
The new chairman is “now called upon in many ways,” said Bouffier. In the new opposition role in the federal government, the party and parliamentary group would have to “sort themselves out first”. And the goal of the CDU is of course to become the strongest party again, said Bouffier: “It won’t be a walk in the park.”