Berlin The political fate of CDU boss Armin Laschet this Tuesday depended on Ralph Brinkhaus’ willingness to compromise. Because the previous head of the Union parliamentary group would only be too happy to lead the members of the CDU and CSU again in this electoral term. But Laschet wanted Brinkhaus to be elected provisionally at best.
The dispute over this question shaped the entire Tuesday in the Union – until a compromise was found a few minutes before the start of the first parliamentary group meeting, which lasted into the evening. In the end, it was clear: Brinkhaus will initially remain in office until April 30, 2022. 164 of the 196 MPs voted in favor, two abstained. There were no other candidates.
The party leaders Laschet and Markus Söder (CSU) had introduced the proposal, according to participants. Above all, it could give Laschet a respite. No longer. And yet it could be decisive for the man who brought in a disastrous election result for the CDU.
Because the question about the modalities of the election for the parliamentary group chairman was only superficial this Tuesday. In reality, there have long been bigger questions in the room: Does Armin Laschet have to bury all hopes for the Chancellery, for the party chairmanship, for any role in the party? Does the Laschet era end before it even begins? Or does the Union parliamentary group remain closed and thus trustworthy in order to lead coalition negotiations under certain circumstances, should there not be an alliance of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP?
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If there had been a fight for Brinkhaus’s post on Tuesday – in which other prominent Christian Democrats were reportedly interested – then chaos would have been programmed in the parliamentary group, the Union would be considered divided, and her place on the opposition bench would have been guaranteed . “Then everything starts to slide,” warned the CDU leadership.
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“Ability to work, stability, a mandate” are important, said the newly elected CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt a few hours before the meeting. In Union circles it was said that there were “good talks with the FDP and the Greens, which signal interest in talks about Jamaica”. It was an appeal to the state political responsibility of the MPs.
“We are ready for talks,” said CSU boss Söder. “We have worked out a matrix for possible discussions.” The CSU has more weight in the parliamentary group than before, as it provides almost a quarter of the only 196 members of the Union.
Ralph Brinkhaus will initially remain in office until the end of April 2022.
(Photo: dpa)
At the time, however, there was a real danger that chaos in the fight for the top of the parliamentary group could make the CSU-Jamaica matrix waste. Because it was known that Jens Spahn and Norbert Röttgen would run for candidates and possibly also Friedrich Merz and parliamentary deputy Carsten Linnemann, if Brinkhaus had pursued the plan for a one-year term of office.
It is “nonsense” to believe that the party renews itself better in the opposition than in the government, warned the critics of an uncontrollable parliamentary group meeting with combat votes. In addition to chaos and anger, personal injuries in particular would remain there: “Don’t destroy everything and let us remain a possible partner for a coalition.”
There are so great differences between the SPD and FDP, from the debt brake to the wealth tax or a rent cap, that a Jamaica alliance is likely to be seen as the better solution for the country.
The liberals in the party warned the conservatives to take a “pure CDU” course. For example, the former President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen, was unable to achieve a majority in southern Thuringia. With his conservative course, the Hamburg regional chief Christoph Ploß has also lost all direct mandates in Hamburg.
During the group meeting, Laschet admitted, according to the participants, that he had made mistakes as a top candidate. “I regret that very much,” said the CDU chief. Then he apologized to those who are not now in the Bundestag.
The election result was a severe blow to the Union. The sister parties could not be satisfied with that. It is a sad, bad day for the CDU / CSU. The results are particularly bad in East Germany, said Laschet with a view to the profits of the SPD and AfD. The processing must now take place quickly.
“To those who voted for us, I say: Don’t give up on Jamaica so quickly,” warned Laschet. There are strong signals from the FDP in the direction of the Union. How Olaf Scholz dealt with coalition partners can be seen in Hamburg when he was leading a government there.
After the meeting, Laschet confirmed his will to explore an alliance with the Greens and the FDP. “We will talk to the FDP, to the Greens, in the next few days. Our offer to talk is ready. And I think that factual discussions among Democrats are right now. “
Laschet went on to say: “We did not win this election.” In a confusing situation like this, “every democratic party must be ready to take on responsibility. And that’s us. “
With a view to critical remarks in the parliamentary group meeting, Laschet said: “That is part of it.” With a view to the historically poor performance of the Union on Sunday, he said: “That is an election result that everyone would have wished for differently, including myself. That I think it is correct to analyze it critically now, too. I have always valued the frank speech. ”Nevertheless, the group meeting was shaped by the will to now stand together for the position of the Union.
The transition is going better in NRW
While Laschet had to fight for his position to the end on Tuesday, the transition in the state board of the NRW-CDU was quieter on Monday evening. There it was about Laschet’s successor as Prime Minister and State Chairman. It was said afterwards in Düsseldorf that there was “respectful interaction”.
The state executive unanimously voted for a quick solution and ultimately also for the head of the CDU trade association, Transport Minister Hendrik Wüst, as the successor, several participants reported to the Handelsblatt.
The party officially denied a specific personnel decision. After the weekend, Laschet will make a proposal. Laschet himself is in favor of a quick clarification of the successor so that the new Prime Minister can successfully win the state elections in May 2022 with an official bonus.
In Düsseldorf, with a view to the meeting of the Bundestag faction in Berlin and the prospect of Jamaica negotiations, it was said: “If we get through the evening without an accident, then it will go on.” And there was also a reference to Bremen: There the SPD had Historically poor in the last state election, the CDU won.
And yet since then the SPD has been in government with the Left and the Greens. The prospect of the chancellorship of a black-yellow-green alliance is the last chance for Laschet to rebuild the necessary authority in the party and parliamentary group.
With agency material.
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