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Germany’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) leader Armin Laschet secured the backing of his party’s board early on Tuesday morning in a final push to salvage his political future, and his hope of running for chancellor in September’s federal election.
After nearly seven hours of heated debate, Mr Laschet forced a secret ballot after 1am in which 31 members of the party board backed him, six abstained and nine voted for his rival Markus Söder, minister president of Bavaria and leader of the CDU’s sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).
It remains to be seen whether Mr Laschet’s two-thirds support will be accepted by Mr Söder and his supporters – and end a heated leadership struggle within the two parties’ joint Bundestag parliamentary party. Many CDU MPs are worried weak poll numbers for Mr Laschet, party leader since January, endanger their seats in September’s election.
Some have publicly, others silently, agreed with the 54-year-old Bavarian leader that his stronger standing in polls and broader support base makes them a better election leader.
Ahead of the vote, Mr Söder promised to accept the vote of the CDU, as the “larger sister”, but his push for power – and for the decision to include voices from beyond the party board – has divided the CDU five months before the federal election.
Among those who backed him were economics minister Peter Altmaier, an ally of chancellor Angela Merkel, and state premiers of Saxony-Anhalt and Saarland. They all demanded the parliamentary party and party grassroots be given a chance to participate in the decision.
“It’s important we don’t lose the contact to our voters,” said Mr Altmaier, according to participants. “Many will be disappointed if the party board decides exactly the opposite of what’s important to them.”
Saxony-Anhalt’s minister president Rainer Haseloff, facing re-election in a state poll in June, said: “It is not about personal characteristics or trust, this is a question of pure power, and who has the better chances.”
Dr Merkel has vowed to keep out of the race and did not speak during the video conference that ended before 2am.
Before Mr Laschet begins the work of winning back the support of Söder supporters, his supporters fanned out across the media on Tuesday morning to talk up his result.
“We are a union of two parties . . . and it is decisive that at end of the day we have to have a joint candidate,” said Thomas Frei, deputy CDU/CSU parliamentary party leader. “This signal is crystal clear so I expect that this question will be cleared up today amicably by both parties what was agreed.”
The vote was the second late-night attempt by Mr Laschet to resolve the issue, as no official forum or tools exist between the CDU and CSU to break such a deadlock.
The two men held inconclusive talks until after 1am on Monday, after which Mr Söder insisted his leadership demand was an “offer and the question of whether it is accepted lies with the CDU”.
Senior CDU figure Wolfgang Schäuble, himself a former party leader and finance minister, reportedly warned Mr Laschet that his days as party leader were numbered if he failed to secure the nomination.