Bavarian Prime Minister and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Zeder, said yesterday that he is ready to enter the race for the conservative candidate for German chancellor in the elections in September and pointed out that he will soon resolve the issue amicably with Armin Lašet, his rival and head of the sister Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
"If the CDU is willing to support me, I will be ready," Zeder said at a meeting of leading members of the parliamentary group.
"Markus Zeder and I had a long talk today. We both want to run for chancellor," Laset said at a joint press conference.
According to public opinion polls, Lašet lags behind Zeder, but as leader of the CDU council, he has the support of influential provincial premiers.
As the September election draws closer, the Conservatives are looking for a decision on a candidate to end the divisive speculation. Lašet said that the next step could be taken today at the CDU and CSU board meeting, but he did not state the deadline by which the decision could be made.
"We want to win the elections in the fall - that's the main goal. Now we are thinking about the best formation," Zeder said.
Laschet, 60, is a centrist who is believed to continue on Angela Merkel's path, although he has clashed with her over coronavirus restrictions. His popularity as prime minister of Germany's most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia has plummeted due to the chaotic response during the pandemic.
Zeder, 54, is a political operative who sided with Merkel during the pandemic. No CSU leader has ever become German chancellor, Reuters reminds. So far, Merkel has not explicitly supported any candidate, although she has hinted that she will support the leader of the CDU.
The Social Democrats nominated Finance Minister Olaf Šolc as their candidate
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