The upcoming contest has gone somewhat under the radar to date, which is rather surprising as the victor will have a significant impact on the immediate ideological orientation of the European Union. The current lead candidate according to membership polls is Friedrich Merz, a "back-to-basics" conservative who wants to take the party back to the right by focusing on crime and cultural issues, but would be seen as alienating centrist votes in the process. Next comes Norbert Rottgen, who focuses on foreign affairs, and aims to chip away at the rising Green vote. Finally, Armin Laschet of North-Rhine Westphalia wants to build a socially progressive voter coalition, but is regarded as too similar to Merkel. Moreover, it seems the most popular contender of all isn't even on the ballot, with Markus Soder of the CSU sister party regularly topping polls of Chancellor candidates.
https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/all-...berlin?lang=fr
https://www.thenewfederalist.eu/all-...berlin?lang=fr
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