Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) intends to clarify the succession at the head of the Union faction with CSU Chairman Markus Söder before the holiday season begins. This information was reported by Der Spiegel, citing party circles. Merz stated that both party leaders hold the right to propose candidates, and that the procedures and timeline are currently being coordinated with the party and faction bodies.
While Merz has not yet settled on specific personnel, party circles indicate that he had previously urged Jens Spahn to resign. According to Spiegel information, Merz took this action after the extremely negative reaction within the party and faction regarding the “Leihmutter” debate.
A series of telephone calls took place among leading CDU politicians, including ministers-presidents and state chairmen, late Friday evening. An insider privy to these discussions told the magazine that the sentiment was “clear.”
In CDU circles, Minister of Chancellery Thorsten Frei is being considered as a top candidate for faction leadership. Frei had already made it known during the government formation process that he preferred leading the members of parliament rather than the central government. For the Chancellery position, Deputy Faction Chairman Günter Krings is being discussed. Additionally, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) Interior Minister’s name has been mentioned in the report.
