CDU quake in Berlin! The party leader gives up – the AKK-K.O.!
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (57, CDU, short: “AKK”) has decided not to run for office as chancellor and will soon give up the CDU chairmanship.
A close AKK confidant to BILD explained the AKK withdrawal: “Whoever does not use power will be deprived of it.”
AKK said in a meeting of the party presidium on Monday morning that there is an unsettled relationship between parts of the CDU with the AfD and the left, as BILD learned. She was strictly against cooperation with these parties.
She explained that the party presidency and the chancellorship or the candidate for chancellor belong in one hand. Therefore, she does not want to run as the top candidate for the CDU in the next federal election.
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AKK: “Party presidency and chancellor candidacy belong together”
She said this later at the press conference, at which she declared her retirement: “Party chairmanship and candidacy for chancellor belong together.” By giving up this practice when the CDU resigned from the CDU chairmanship as Chancellor Merkel (after the state election in Hesse in October 2018; Note.), the question of the chancellor’s candidacy has not come to rest despite two party congresses since December 2018.
She – AKK – wants to clarify the question of the candidate for chancellor for the CDU as party leader. She did not want to run as a candidate herself, so that she could not be accused of pursuing her own interests. As soon as the question of the candidacy was clarified, she also wanted to give up the chair, so that both – Chancellor candidacy and party chairmanship – are in one hand again.
“This decision has matured and grown in me for quite some time,” said AKK. “I informed the committees and the Chancellor this morning, the Chancellor a little earlier than the Presidium,” said AKK.
She emphasized that the question of the chancellor’s candidacy would be clarified at a party congress, not through a member survey or the like. Means: “For the foreseeable future” – probably until summer – AKK will remain party leader for the time being. The next CDU party convention is scheduled for December.
In addition, AKK said that it continues to stand for a CDU, with which an approximation to the AfD is out of the question. Nor did she want to work with the left. The AfD is “against everything that makes the CDU”. Any approach to this party weakens the CDU. The history and program of the Left Party stand against the values that formed the foundation of the CDU.
And their withdrawal has no effect on GroKo.
The press conference was scheduled for half past one, but did not begin until 2:15 p.m.
Previously, AKK gave an explosive speech in the federal executive committee in the morning. In doing so, she spoke of an “unresolved leadership question” in the CDU – and also indicated that the Chancellor shared responsibility. The separation of the chancellery and party presidency weakened the party. The Union expects a “difficult election year”.
In the summer, she would organize the process of running for office as chancellor, prepare the party for the future, and then hand over the party presidency. She only wants to remain Minister of Defense if the party and parliamentary group support it. Chancellor Angela Merkel (65, CDU) spoke out at the meeting that AKK would remain minister. Merkel also thanked Kramp-Karrenbauer very much.
BILD also found out: On Sunday AKK met with their representatives for dinner. After that, she felt that the backing within the party leadership is fading. Chancellor Merkel knew nothing of her decision to announce the retreat at the Presidium meeting at 9 a.m. on Monday morning, according to BILD information in advance.
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There are apparently no direct ambitions for the chancellor’s candidacy: So far, none of those present has thrown his hat into the ring for a possible candidacy, according to party circles.But she struggled with the office. Your poll scores got worse and worse! According to surveys, fewer and fewer people trusted her to become CDU candidate for chancellor.
Kramp-Karrenbauer was elected CDU party leader on December 7, 2018. In a runoff election, she prevailed against Friedrich Merz with 51.8 percent. Previously, she was CDU general secretary and prime minister in Saarland.
Most recently, AKK had come under criticism for its crisis management after the controversial prime minister election in Thuringia. The FDP politician Thomas Kemmerich was elected Prime Minister in the state parliament in Erfurt last Wednesday – also by the CDU and the AfD, whose parliamentary group is led by party right wing Björn Höcke.
The CDU, CSU and SPD had spoken out in Saturday at a meeting of the coalition committee in Berlin for an early election in Thuringia. Before that, a new prime minister should be elected immediately.
Kramp-Karrenbauer had not previously prevailed at the Thuringian state association with the demand for a quick new election and then agreed on the compromise of temporarily electing a new prime minister and then starting a new election.
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