Who will be Merkel’s successor?

Angela Merkel is not only the German Chancellor for more than 15 years, but she is also considered the most powerful woman in the world and one of the main leaders of the European Union. It is admired by many both inside and outside the German borders. She has been considered a loving mother, but does not rude or spoil her citizens.

He has been a key player in the Euro crisis in Greece, in Brexit, in the war in Ukraine and in the Syrian refugee migration crisis. It has managed to maintain a strong European Union, despite right-wing populist governments that clash with the liberal ideals of the organization.

With the void that Merkel will leave, the unavoidable question is who will be her successor or successor? when he will not compete again in the elections to be held this year in Germany.

"Mutti" as he is affectionately called, has already had his first political setback thinking about his future. In 2020, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel's political goddaughter, had to resign as a conservative leader in a party that is always torn between maintaining a moderate policy similar to Merkel's or turning to the right where parties or supporters of extreme groups can touch. right.

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Faced with this setback, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party chose Armin Laschet, head of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia as Merkel's successor (at least as party leader). Laschet was the closest to Merkel and the one who most defended the policies of the current chancellor, including on the immigration issue.

Now Laschet will have to win the pulse of Markus Söder, leader of the sister party in Bavaria, who also enjoys good popularity within his region and throughout the country. Traditionally, whoever wins within the CDU-CSU coalition will have more opportunities to form a government.

The other traditional German party that today is part of the government coalition, the Social Democrats (SPD), nominated the current Vice-Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, last year. The politician also served as Merkel's finance minister and will have to fight for votes from the center-left or left, where he will face tough competition with the Green and Die Linke parties, popular with young people and who have not yet chosen a candidate.

While at the other extreme is the controversial Alternative for Germany party. According to their leader Jörg Meuthen, they will not present a candidate for chancellor, but they will present list leaders hoping to increase the number of seats.