CDU's Merz Could Be Put Forward As CDU-CSU Candidate In 1200CET Presser

Leader of the main opposition centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz will hold a presser at 1200CET (0600ET, 1100BST) alongside Markus Soeder, Minister-President of Bavaria and leader of the CDU's sister party in that state, the Christian Social Union (CSU). This hastily-arranged news conference could see Merz recommended by Soeder to serve as the candidate for the 'Union' (what the joint CDU-CSU pact is called in elections) in the next federal election due in just over a year on 28 Sep 2025.

• Bloomberg reported on the evening of 16 Sep that according to an unnamed party official the CDU and CSU could approve Merz as the Union's chancellor candidate at meetings on 23 September. Bloomberg's story may have spurred the parties to bring an announcement forward.
• Prior to the 2021 federal election, a bitter contest between Soeder and then-North Rhine-Westphalia Minister-President Armin Laschet saw the latter win through as Union candidate despite Soeder polling much better with the public. In the event, the Union vote collapsed in the last days of the campaign ushering in the current 'traffic light' coalition.
• As Bloomberg notes, Soeder "challenged Merz two weeks ago when he said in an interview that he “wouldn’t shy away from taking responsibility for the whole country.” But in contrast to 2021, no leading conservative this time supported Soeder’s renewed claim for the candidacy. The CSU leader has realized that there’s little backing for him, a party official said."