The prime minister of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia won the leadership of the "Christian Democratic Union", after receiving 521 of the votes of the party's 1,001 delegates, ahead of his rival, Friedrich Meretz, who is described as "Merkel's archenemy", who won 466 Votes.

Laschet - who came second after Meretz in the first round - benefited from the votes of the supporters of a third candidate, Norbert Rutgen, who supported a moderate line and who lost in the first round.

Laschet is 59 years old and has many strengths, and he is a moderate journalist, but he has been criticized for his treatment of the Corona epidemic in the Renania region (North West Westphalia), which has the largest population in Germany.

The new leader of the ruling party in Germany descended from Belgian roots to a Roman Catholic family, obtained a law degree and worked as a journalist, and in 1994 he was elected a member of the German Parliament (Bundestag), and in 1999 he was elected to the European Parliament.

In 2005 he became a minister in the government of the North Rhine state, then prime minister of the state in 2017, when he allied with the liberals at the time.

Refugee lover

Laschet is described as open-minded, and is known for his support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy of opening Germany to refugees. The Germans even call him "Turkish Armenians."

In his domestic political streak, Lachette was known for his liberal views and strong ties to immigrant communities, and he is described as a fierce advocate of the immigration policies adopted by Chancellor Merkel during the 2015 refugee crisis.

Laschet rejected proposals to ban the wearing of the face veil (the niqab), describing it as a "false debate" and diverting attention from the most urgent issues.

A win for the middle

At the European level, Laschet seeks to strengthen the European Union on issues such as combating international terrorism and organized crime, in addition to energy policy, and he also wants to have the president of the European Commission elected directly by European voters.

Commenting on his victory, he said, "I want us to succeed together," and for the German conservative union that includes the Christian Democratic Union and the Bavarian Christian Social Union's sister party to reach the chancellery next September.

He reads Laschet’s victory politically as a victory for the centrist in the castle of German conservatives, and the editor-in-chief of the German newspaper “Hendesblatt” Matthias Brugmann believes that the victory of Laschet is a good result for Germany;

It is an extension of Merkel's political approach.

The far-right Alternative for Germany party, on the other hand, commented on Laschet's victory, saying "bad news for Germany; they continue to produce proverbs of Merkel."

Towards the Chancellery

In his march toward the chancellery, Lachit may attract voters from the center, and if he runs in September, he may be able to build a potential alliance with the Green Party, the second-largest power in the country.

The weekly Der Spiegel said that Chet should not be underestimated in the race for the position of chancellery, and compared his career to that of the former chancellor Helmut Kohl, who many did not believe in his early days that he would succeed in reaching power.

The newspaper added that he is "not an interesting politician, but he suggests comfort and ease," and this is in his favor "after a global pandemic and the presidency of Donald Trump."