FDP politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann revealed that she decided on her surprising candidacy against Wolfgang Kubicki just two days before the party convention vote. Initially, she had no intention of running.
“I didn’t want to, because I am heavily committed” the European Commissioner told the ntv program “Pinar Atalay” on Monday, referencing her work in the European Parliament. Her decision was prompted by the withdrawal of Henning Höne, the FDP state chair in North Rhine-Westphalia whom she supported. Following this, she perceived growing disappointment within the party regarding the lack of genuine choice. “This idea built upon the other, and then I made the decision”.
Strack-Zimmermann admitted that she deliberately waited until shortly before the convention to announce her decision. The internal developments within the party gave her the feeling that “I should step in now”. Previously, she had even suggested a one-year transitional co-leadership with Kubicki, asking, “Let’s do this for a year”. However, Kubicki declined this proposal.
Strack-Zimmermann expressed particular surprise that her candidacy remained secret until the convention. According to her, only “about 50 people” had been informed. “I was surprised that it hadn’t leaked earlier” she stated. Despite the surprise, the politician tried to downplay the conflict, noting that although Kubicki was affected by her candidature, “he is robust”. She remains “extremely confident” that they will continue to work together, a sentiment she shares. She concluded that the competitive election cycle demonstrated the strength of democracy and added that she had essentially supported the faction of party members who wanted a real choice.
