Future of the CSU: Söder. Otherwise nothing

His grandfather had told him then that he should let it stay with the policy, rather what "make clever things". For example, Markus Söder commemorates Opa's recommendation in the small Munich Olympiahalle on Saturday when his grandson reported to him in spring 1983 about joining the Junge Union and the CSU. "I did not stick to it," says Söder on the party rally with laughter.

From today's point of view, it was undoubtedly correct for the young man to ignore the grandfather's advice - whether this also applies to his party, will show the future. In January 2019, the Franke Markus Söder, 52, is the man to whom the CSU has high hopes. Söder has been Prime Minister of Bavaria since last spring and now, at the Munich party congress, a good 87 percent of delegates also elect him as its chairman.

Prime Minister and CSU chief - that's the Nuremberg in the Christian social Olympus arrived. Only Franz Josef Strauß, Edmund Stoiber and Horst Seehofer held both offices at the same time. "Of course I am a bit excited, more than usual," says Söder in his application speech. You notice it to him.

The new darling of the CSU

The power-man Söder is now where he always wanted to go. But from now on all the pressure is on him alone. On Horst Seehofer, who is passed soberly at the party congress as chairman, he can push now nothing more. The new party leader is to raise the insecure CSU again, make it more modern, more feminine - but above all, more successful. There is no other currency in politics, certainly not in the CSU.

What else happens, Söder could observe in recent years with Horst Seehofer. That Seehofer led the CSU again in 2013 to the absolute majority in the Bavarian state parliament, that the party leader for many years with great skill and their federal influence guaranteed: last he was only the Watschenmann. For the descent of the CSU, readable above all in their results since the election to the Bundestag in 2017, Seehofer certainly had a large part of the responsibility, not least because of his course in refugee policy and the consequent long-term dispute with Angela Merkel. But also the rest of the party leadership, which carried it along.

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LUKAS BARTH-TUTTAS / EPA-EFE / REX

In the small Olympiahalle this Saturday it seems as if most of the delegates wanted to get rid of him as quickly as possible. After all, they make the newly assigned party leader (at the suggestion of his successor) directly to the honorary chairman, a model of the CSU headquarters for his cellar railway, he gets farewell even. And Seehofer remains for the time being Federal Minister of the Interior.

Söder, formerly described as an ambitious, lonely singer and Haudrauf, is now the darling of the CSU; the vast majority of Christian Social anyway. That he still has to convince some, show the 13 percent who have not voted him. Of course, there is still Parteivize Manfred Weber, who draws as a leading candidate of the EPP in the European elections in late May, he could then become the first CSU politician head of the European Commission. But what really counts for the party is Bavaria - and its influence in Berlin. And Söder has to deliver now.

He does not seem to lack humility in view of this task. That's surprising, considering the Söder of earlier days. But especially the disastrous state election campaign, in which he was already drawn as a top candidate, has apparently left deep marks on Söder. "2018 was a tough year for me too," he says. "I learned a lot and made mistakes."

The gentle Söder

In the dispute with the CDU in the early summer of Söder Söder seemed to want to outflip his party leader at times to uncompromising and pithy slogans, but even then he equipped as the first top man of the CSU again. In the meantime, Söder is sometimes so gentle that some people hardly recognize him. The fact that skepticism beats him therefore is prudently anticipated in Munich. "Is he serious? Is that the tactic?" He knows these questions, says Söder in his party speech. But do not worry, he asserts, "I'm really determined to learn the right lessons."

A sophisticated error analysis, as promised by him Söder and Seehofer after the state election gossip, it will not exist. Prefer to look forward. And give time to renewal. "Let's start talking about ourselves," he shouts to the delegates. As I said, Söder, once a legendary blasphemy, seems to be serious.

Picture gallery: That's what fellow travelers say about Seehofer's farewell

Hello, Horst

Martin Schulz, 63, ex-chairman of the SPD: When I was elected party leader of the SPD, there was a meeting with the leaders of the CDU and CSU, Angela Merkel and Horst Seehofer. In this conversation, Mrs. Merkel asked me if I had any problems with the Prime Ministers of my party. I said that I understood everyone very well and answered the question. Mr. Seehofer then said, "Of course you get along well with your Prime Minister, okay Angela?"

This inclination to wit and irony is certainly a side to Horst Seehofer, which can sometimes lead to difficult moments. In this situation, it was just very amusing.

Walter Eisenhart, 52, teacher, university lecturer and friend of Horst Seehofer: It was on March 6, 2018, when filming a television documentary about him. We met in the Zirbelstube of the State Chancellery, a few days before his departure as Prime Minister. His dismantling as head of the CSU was already underway. I was curious to see which Horst Seehofer I would meet at this time, because we had not seen each other for a while. And the amazing and at the same time human thing was that he had no grudge at all, but looked at things with humor and commented on them. That he has kept his humor in this difficult time, was authentic, a true Seehofer.

Jürgen Trittin, 64, former Group leader of the Greens: During the Jamaican negotiations, there was a recurring ritual. The CSU chairman entered the room in the Parliamentary Society. As always without documents. He retreated to a corner and held court. His negotiators came to him, briefed him, but he did not tell them what conclusions he drew. For greens a strange ritual. They always discussed their lines throughout the negotiating delegation.

In the end, however, Horst Seehofer delivered. The CSU negotiators were often blocked because Seehofer had reserved that only he would make compromises. When he signaled that there had to be a compromise with the Greens in family reunification, it was clear: Seehofer wanted Jamaica and not let it burst together with Lindner. The FDP panicked, and two days later they ran away.

Shaking his head about this departure united Seehofer and the Greens for a historic moment.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, 56, head of the CDU and former prime minister of the Saarland: Without the support of Horst Seehofer, there would have been no state financial equalization in the form adopted. For that, I am grateful to him as former Prime Minister of the Saarland.

Theo Waigel, 79, longtime CSU leader and under Helmut Kohl from 1989 to 1998 Federal Finance Minister: The most and most intense memory in my memory is an event from the year 1994. At that time we both worked as Federal Minister under Helmut Kohl in Bonn. Seehofer was Minister of Health, I Finance Minister. Because at that time I was also CSU chairman, Seehofer one day came to me with the offer to give up his ministry and instead to become Secretary General of the CSU in order to put himself entirely in the service of the party. I found that very remarkable, but I also told him: we need you as a minister. And that is why you are much more important to me in Bonn than on the Secretary-General's. And so Seehofer then remained Minister of Health until the end of the Kohl era in 1998.

Bernd Riexinger, 63, chairman of the Left Party: Horst Seehofer was once something like the socio-political conscience of the Union. Even then, he got on with Angela Merkel. He was against the capitation in health policy. Today, the outgoing CSU chairman is only concerned with enforcing the highest possible capitation on people's deportations. His rejection of Christian social values ​​makes him look like a stubborn misanthrope at the end of his career as CSU chairman.

Prelate Karl Jüsten, 57, head of the commissariat of German bishops in Berlin: After Horst Seehofer took over the office of party leader of the CSU and that of the prime minister in Bavaria, we unfortunately had to give up our background with capital journalists who are interested in social issues. Seehofer, the SPD politician Karl Lauterbach and I had invited to. But the contact remained.

Seehofer always had open ears for ethically sensitive questions. His Christian faith is not limited to lip service. After his severe illness many years ago, he retired to a monastery for convalescence and spiritual recharge. The Catholic social teaching was always a leitmotif in social policy. The CSU program clearly bears his signature as well.

By the way, he always remained very human. For example, he picked up the telephone himself and personally apologized when he had to cancel a meeting with high-ranking church representatives for an appointment. In Berlin, it is common in hectic everyday business that this is done by mail or through the secretariats.

Even though we often had a dissent in immigration policy, I must be grateful to him for advocating the maintenance of church sanctuary. Because, he said, the directly human can not be lost in a country like Germany.

Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, 67, longtime Federal Minister of Justice and from 2000 to 2013 Regional Chairman of the Bavarian FDP: I personally met Horst Seehofer as a cabinet colleague in 1992, but I had to deal politically with him only after the electoral defeat of the CSU in 2008 in the state election with the loss the absolute majority. We both sat opposite each other during the coalition negotiations in Bavaria as a negotiator. The FDP euphoric because of the unique opportunity to help shape the CSU personnel in total upheaval. Horst Seehofer had to clean up and wanted a fresh start.

In the small office of the FDP, we sat with our delegations densely crowded opposite, and I experienced Horst Seehofer, as he gave his CSUlern one lesson after another, for the CSU unaccustomed compromise received and the sudden announcement of the Landesbank disaster during the Made a clear cut and acted hard on their own people. I experienced him under considerable pressure as a strategic negotiator with great health problems. That was fun, so in four-eyes conversations to achieve results.

We can do it, we were convinced. I've always had to think about that in the last few years, when those words became fight-words. I can understand that after the last ten years Horst Seehofer finds it difficult to hold the party presidency.

Profile with style - this is his new favorite saying. The CSU must remember their roots, but above all, score with unity. For him, this also includes dealing with the CDU's sister. The fact that Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer also elected a new chairman before Christmas makes things easier for Söder, because they both dealt with each other in a more relaxed manner than previously Seehofer and Merkel. The fact that Kramp-Karrenbauer has traveled to Söder's coronation party day, as well as the newly elected CDU general secretary Paul Ziemiak and Christian Democratic Union faction leader Ralph Brinkhaus, may be considered the appropriate signal of the big sister party.

"Dear brothers and sisters in the Union," says Kramp-Karrenbauer at the beginning of her speech - she has already won the hall for herself. The CDU boss also wants two distinguished parties. It must be like among real siblings, she demands: One quarrels, "but when the neighbor children come, one holds together". The Kramp-Karrenbauer said so recently during her visit to the CSU New Year's Eve conference that host and national group chief Alexander Dobrindt, last year the most persistent Christian social struggling island, also demonstrated great need for harmony there.

You just have to hold it. The European election campaign with the joint CSU lead candidate Weber will be a first rehearsal - especially if the result is not as desired.

Anyway, Markus Söder is determined. He says.

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