German opposition leader plans to run for chancellor

Leader of Germany's largest opposition party - the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz plans to run for Chancellor in the 2025 elections as the candidate for the CDU/CSU bloc (Christian Social Union).

Merz intends to announce his decision after the regional parliamentary elections in Brandenburg, scheduled for September 22, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media.

The politician plans to make his announcement no later than October 3. The executive committees of the CDU and CSU are set to meet on September 23. The decision on the next steps is expected to be made at these meetings. Merz is already planning visits to neighbouring European countries such as France and Poland.

During these trips, he will not be visiting as the party leader but as a candidate for chancellor. A meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron is among the possibilities.   Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU leader Markus Söder is also vying for the chancellorship but is not looking for a direct confrontation with Merz this time.

This approach also applies to the third candidate, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Hendrik Wüst. Söder is aware that in a new government led by the CDU/CSU, he would be a "covert vice-chancellor" alongside Chancellor Merz, even if he remained in Munich. This is because, without the CSU leader in Berlin, very little would function effectively. The official decision on the chancellor candidate will also involve the regional chairmen of the CDU.

Among them, there are both opponents of Merz and supporters of Söder. However, no one in the party anticipates an open confrontation between Merz's critics and the party leadership, even after the expected CDU defeat in the Brandenburg regional elections.

Officially, neither the CDU nor the CSU have commented on the potential candidacy. The Bundestag elections are scheduled for September 28, 2025, after which a new government will be formed and a new chancellor elected.