Angela Merkel, who is at the end of her mandate, has chosen to put herself on the sidelines of the negotiations for her succession. Negotiations between the CDU and CDS to find a leader have come to nothing. The conservatives are tearing themselves apart.
Until late in the evening of Sunday 18th, negotiations between Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CDS) to appoint a leader for the parliamentary elections of 26 September did not lead to the expected result. Two candidates are vying to succeed Angela Merkel.
Armin Laschet of the CDU, a moderate who advocates continuity, is opposed to Markus Söder of the CDS, the Bavarian allied party. The two parties, CDU and CDS, had set a deadline of 18 April to agree on a single candidate. Only the two parties could not find a consensus. Angela Merkel opted for neutrality in the fight for her succession. The CDU has threatened its ally the CDS with a move into Bavaria. Such a move would be a step towards a break between the two sister parties. The CDU has never sought to find members in this Land, the preserve of the Christian Social Union.
The evolution of the polls puts the Conservatives in a bad position. At the beginning of February, the CDU-CDS coalition was credited with 35-37% of voting intentions. In April, it is between 25 and 28%. If this fall, partly due to the management of the health crisis, were to continue, the Chancellery would be lost.
For 16 years, the Conservatives have had power in their hands with Angela Merkel. The loss of the parliamentary elections would automatically place them in opposition.
Gérard Rugambwa
