At the start of the Union's hot election campaign phase, CSU leader Markus Söder warned against a loss of government power.

In view of the falling polls, the Union is no longer just about how and with whom it wants to govern, but about whether it will govern at all, Söder said at an election rally on Saturday at the Tempodrom in Berlin.

He added: "I don't feel like the opposition."

"With all the joy that we are getting together today, and with all the self-assurance - let's be honest for a moment," said Söder.

"It's close, it will be very close, and today everyone has to understand that it's really about everything."

Don't talk about résumés

The CSU leader encouraged the Union's election campaigners: "If we give the impression of fearfulness and insecurity - how should the citizens trust us?", He said.

"Let's finally do a sensible campaign, not talk about trivialities, which résumé was good and which laugh was appropriate," he said.

In his speech, Söder spoke out in favor of the joint union candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) as Chancellor.

"In serious times you need a clear line, clear leadership - and neither Olaf Scholz nor Ms. Baerbock can give this clear leadership: The clear leadership can only establish the union with Armin Laschet," said Söder.

Söder extensively praised the record of Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), who spoke in front of him at the rally in Berlin's Tempodrom.

"The balance sheet of an outstanding Federal Chancellor speaks for itself," said Söder.

"We have 16 years of Angela Merkel, and those were 16 extraordinarily good years for our country," he said - and added to Merkel: "That is already a very great era for you."

"Predecessors should withdraw"

Chancellor Angela Merkel also recommended Armin Laschet as her successor at the event.

She was "deeply convinced" that Laschet will become Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany after the election, said Merkel.

In her speech, the Chancellor particularly emphasized the candidate's personal characteristics.

"Over the years I have seen Armin Laschet as a person and a politician for whom the C in the name of our party is not just any letter, but rather the compass of everything he has done and does," said Merkel.

It is always important for Laschet, on the basis of our Christian image of man, to focus on the individual with his inviolable dignity, to build bridges between people. "

“You know that since I gave up the CDU chairmanship almost three years ago, I have basically stayed out of election campaign events,” said the Chancellor at the rally.

"Predecessors in office who quit their political work should withdraw, that is my attitude and my firm belief."

Thanks to Bundeswehr soldiers in Afghanistan

Merkel concluded her speech with an appeal to the party's election campaigners: “It is worth fighting for the remaining 35 days, every hour to ensure that the CDU and CSU are strong in the German Bundestag, every hour that we Germany are good shape and lead into a good future - and of course with Armin Laschet as our future Federal Chancellor. "

The Chancellor also thanked the Bundeswehr soldiers in Afghanistan for their efforts to rescue Germans and local staff. It was an "extremely complicated mission," said Merkel. “In these hours, the main thing is to save people.” Merkel described the development in Afghanistan with the Taliban's takeover as a “drama” and “tragedy”. The Afghan army "collapsed at a breathtaking pace".

Merkel said that after the rescue operation there will be talk of what was done in Afghanistan and what was not. There is currently no acute terrorist threat from the country. However, the approach of the Western engagement there was more broadly defined: "We wanted to enable as many people as possible in Afghanistan to lead a free, good and self-determined life," said Merkel. "And we just have to say: It didn't work out that way."