The German Christian Democratic CDU is cleaning up after the lost elections two weeks ago. The entire party leadership must be re-elected, the current board has determined. That should happen at the end of this year at a special party congress.
The decision almost certainly means the end of party leader and party leader Armin Laschet. He had only been head of the CDU since January. Laschet already hinted at the end of last week that he is prepared to leave, especially now that the CDU has been sidelined in the explorations for a new cabinet for the time being.
The CDU and its Bavarian sister party CSU (which has its own board) won the parliamentary elections the worst result in their existence. Outgoing Chancellor Merkel’s party lost more than 8 percentage points and finished behind the Social Democratic SPD for the first time since 2002. Together with two other winners, the Greens and the liberal FDP, the SPD is now looking at whether a new government can be formed.
‘Nothing or no one spared’
Despite the loss, no heads have rolled with the CDU yet. This also has to do with the fact that, in theory, the party can still enter a next cabinet and Laschet can become Chancellor. In practice, that chance now seems nil; many local chapters now want a complete overhaul.
A date will be set in early November for Congress to elect new directors and evaluate the election defeat. CDU director Paul Ziemiak said that nothing or no one should be spared. It is not yet clear how the 400,000 CDU members will have a voice in the renewal process.
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