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German conservatives name Merz chancellor candidate

September 17, 2024

Germany's conservative parties chose opposition leader Friedrich Merz as their candidate for chancellor in next year's federal elections. He will likely run against Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats.

https://p.dw.com/p/4khe6
Friedrich Merz and Markus Söder shaking hands
Merz (left) said that cooperation between himself and Söder had been good, but not always easyImage: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance

Germany's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), have chosen CDU party leader Friedrich Merz as their candidate for chancellor in the 2025 general election.

Merz's potential rival, Bavarian state Premier Markus Söder of the CSU, offered his full support to Merz as the conservative bloc's top candidate.

What the two men said

Merz and Söder announced the decision at a press conference on Tuesday.

"To keep it short, the chancellorship question is answered — it's Friedrich Merz," said Söder. "I'm fine with this, and I fully support it," the Bavarian politician said.

"We have only one goal, to dislodge the traffic light coalition [Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government] and to get Germany back on track. Everything has to be subordinate to that."

Merz thanked Söder for his support and stressed that there would be no repeat of the open power struggle over the candidacy as in the last election in 2021.

"Today, we are both assuming our leadership responsibility," said the CDU leader. "We know that this responsibility extends beyond both of us."

He also thanked Söder for the "good cooperation" since his election as CDU leader. This had "not always been easy — not for him and not for me," Merz added.

Who is Friedrich Merz?

Merz had vied for the nomination in the early 2000s, but former Chancellor Angela Merkel was chosen instead.

The 68-year-old Merz is an economic liberal who has moved the CDU to the right since becoming party chief in 2022.

His time at the top of the party follows Merkel's 16-year hold on the chancellery. In particular, Merz has called for a tougher line on migration.

The conservative CDU/CSU bloc is leading in opinion polls, and some surveys place it ahead of the combined support for all three parties in Scholz's ruling coalition.

Germany: CDU party leader on migration, cooperation with AfD

Scholz, from the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) governs with support from the Green Party and business-focused Free Democrats (FDP).

Another possible candidate for the nomination had been North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Hendrik Wüst who gave his backing for Merz on Monday. 

Responding while on a trip to Kazakhstan, Scholz said he was "fine" with the prospect of facing Merz.

es,rc/sms (dpa, Reuters)