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This could put CDU leader Merz in a difficult position...
Former Chancellor Angela Merkel, now 71, ruled Germany for 16 years and is considered one of the most popular politicians in the position of chancellor. She did not run again in the 2021 federal election and has been in political retirement since then.
But can Merkel get back in the game?
The German newspaper " Bild " reports that a sensational rumor is circulating in some circles of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU). According to this rumor, Angela Merkel could find herself in a new high political position: Federal President.
There are concerns in circles around CDU leader Friedrich Merz that, since Merkel remains so popular, especially among Green voters, Baden-Württemberg's leading candidate, Cem Özdemir, could nominate Merkel as their candidate for the country's highest office. That could put CDU leader Merz in a difficult position.
It's hard to say for sure, Merz and Merkel share a long-standing political animosity. She fired him in 2002, stripping him of his parliamentary group leadership. He later became one of her biggest internal party critics.
However, both are members of the CDU, and that is precisely what is worrying: if the Greens were to nominate Merkel as their candidate for federal president, this would be against Merz's wishes. At the same time, however, it would probably be difficult for him to reject a candidate from his own party.
The nervousness in the chancellor's office is also reflected in something else: according to information obtained by Bild, there is talk of nominating a CDU candidate for the top job in the coming weeks. That would be extremely early, after all, the election is not until February 2027.
Within the CDU, two candidates are considered to have the best chances: liberal Education Minister Karin Prien and the more conservative President of the Bundestag, Julia Kloeckner.
As the largest parliamentary group in the Federal Convention, the CDU/CSU alliance has the strongest hand. However, this candidate also needs the support of other parties to secure a majority. And Klöckner is considered difficult to unite with the SPD and the Greens, if only because of her close ties to the Merc. Therefore, Merkel would have a strong argument.
The CDU leadership is closely monitoring the former chancellor's frequent public appearances. Wherever Merkel appears, the halls are packed. She also intends to attend the CDU federal party conference, which begins on February 20, unlike in previous years. Merck will probably not be the only one closely following Angela Merkel's behavior.
Angela Merkel also addressed rumors that she is returning to politics. A spokesman for former German Chancellor Angela Merkel has called speculation that the former leader could be considered for the position of federal president next year "absurd."
"This is absurd," a spokesman for Merkel's office told the Tagesspiegel newspaper, dismissing reports that the Green Party might nominate Merkel because of her popularity among the party's voters.
Bild previously reported that there are suspected concerns within the CDU leadership that the Greens could nominate Merkel as a candidate for the country's highest office, especially in light of the current state election race in Baden-Württemberg, where current polls show a close race. A federal convention is expected to decide on the successor to current President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in early 2027.
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