Merkel’s Bavarian ally Seehofer won’t run again as candidate for state premier: CSU’s Ferber
BERLIN (Reuters) – The leader of Germany’s Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives, Horst Seehofer, will not run again as candidate for state premier in a regional election next year, a senior CSU member told NDR broadcaster on Monday.
“I can confirm that we had intensive talks yesterday,” CSU member Markus Ferber was quoted as saying. “The parliamentary group will meet at 0730 GMT to make a proposal for a candidate. And Horst Seehofer will not run again.”
Ferber added that Seehofer had offered to remain CSU leader while stepping aside as Bavarian state premier due to the “difficult situation” in Berlin.
Bavarian newspapers reported that Seehofer would most probably be replaced by his more right-wing rival Markus Soeder, a move which could impact efforts to form a stable government on a federal level with the centre-left Social Democrats.