Today, Saturday, the moderate German politician Armin Laschet, who supports the continuation of the centrist policy of Chancellor Angela Merkel, was elected president of the ruling Christian Democratic Union Party.
Lachette got a majority of 521 votes out of 1001 delegates invited to vote, ahead of Friedrich Meretz (466 votes), the chancellor's historic rival and supporter of directing the party to the right, according to the results of the internal ballot.
Laschet is thus in a position to lead the conservative camp for the general elections next September.
Regardless of the winner of these internal elections, the issue of running for the chancellery will not be resolved before the spring.
Merkel had called in an opening speech to the party conference for unity among its members, and said she wanted a team - in the face of a specific individual - to push the party forward.
She indicated in the speech that was broadcast on Friday evening that she prefers the "team" that he forms with Health Minister Jens Young.
She said she prefers to follow a "middle" path and rejects polarization.
Traditionally, the leader of the Christian Democrats leads the election campaign as a candidate for the chancellery of the party and its sister ally in the Bavarian state of the Christian Social Party.
But this year other potential rivals have emerged for the leadership of the Christian coalition in the elections, notably the head of the Christian Social Party and the head of the Bavarian state government, Marcus Söder, one of the most popular politicians in Germany.
A decision on the party’s candidate for the chancellor is expected in March.