World News Report:In the Union, the pressure on the CDU chairman and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel is growing again in the coming Bundestag elections next September...
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| Chancellor Angela Merkel is soon to decide on a new candidacy - at least her party wants her. |
World News Report:
In the Union, the pressure on the CDU chairman and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel is growing again in the coming Bundestag elections next September.
"It is the desire of many that Angela Merkel is making available for a fourth term," said CDU General Secretary Peter Tauber of the Funke Media Group. He was confident that Merkel would respond to his wishes.
In the "Spiegel" also the deputy CSU chairman Manfred Weber expressed the expectation that Merkel for another term of office will stand: "Angela Merkel is our candidate." He urged, "I would hope that this statement comes quickly." Should Merkel again stand as a candidate, she has the support of the CSU. Horst Seehofer, the CSU chairman, also came to the conclusion that his party would have to support the chancellor again in the end.
No mutual visit to party parties
Merkel and Seehofer agreed on Friday in a discussion in Berlin that a mutual visit to the party parties had no point in the situation. Above all, according to the "Spiegel", Seehofer fears that at the CSU party conference in early November, Merkel would be given an unfriendly reception. However, there will be a chance to meet the CDU and CSU leaders at the beginning of 2017 in Munich.
Already in June there had been a summit at the summit of the sister parties in Potsdam to settle the dispute in the refugee policy. This was not possible, but another meeting in Bavaria was agreed. Merkel now said loudly "Spiegel" that she was ready for a second summit in Munich. This could then serve to start the election year and demonstrate the support of the CSU for a Chancellor's Chancellor Merkel.
Dispute with CSU is to be "dissolved"
Merkel himself was covered in the candidate question at a special part-session of the CDU-Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the candidate question, and only discussed the dispute with the sister party CSU on the refugee policy: "We are working on the fact that we are now resolving this towards the Bundestag election." She is therefore in close talks with CSU boss Horst Seehofer. She stressed, "People want a union."
According to Seehofer, the dispute with Merkel on the upper limit for refugees has already been defused. "We have come a lot closer to us in the last few weeks," said the CSU chief to the "Spiegel". "If there is another difference, we can endure it."
Merkel has so far neither explained whether she wants to remain CDU party chairpersons nor whether she wants to compete again in 2017. Merkel was once again nominated as candidate for the Federal Presidency by the CDU's national supervisory board in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Black-green remains an option
Looking at the chancellor candidate, Tauber said Merkel would say at the "right time" whether she was available. The Prime Minister of the Saarland, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, said on Monday at the end of the CDU presidency meeting: "There will be exactly one candidate and will be elected by a large majority."
The next Bundestag election marked Tauber as "direction choice". The Secretary-General further stated that he was going from an election campaign in which the Union would represent a policy of the Center against Red-Red-Green.
He did not, however, conclude an alliance with the Greens. "Black-green can be an alternative to the Grand Coalition." He stated that the Union would have to reach more than 34 per cent, which is currently being surveyed.
Clarification on refugee policy
Tauber said: "For the CDU, there can be no upper limit for asylum seekers and refugees who come to us under the Geneva Refugee Convention." But these people would have to go back to their homeland, if the flight-grounds - war or individual persecution.
The situation is different in the case of permanent immigration, according to the Secretary General. "This, of course, should be addressed to the needs of our country, for instance for skilled workers." In doing so, one could determine exactly how many could come.
"This figure can vary from year to year, as in classical immigration countries." This position is a good basis for further reflection in the Union.
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