You can blame Armin Laschet for a few things - but not that he prematurely canceled the sails given the icy headwind of the past few months. Even after the crash in the federal election, he withstood the storm of disappointment in the CDU. There was still hope that the Union would provide the Chancellor in the next four years through a coalition with the FDP and the Greens. You don't ruin such an opportunity by first throwing your own top candidate overboard. But to the extent that this prospect dwindled - also because of the lack of unity in its own ranks - Laschet's chances of staying at the helm also dwindled. A party that is on its way into the opposition no longer has to be considerate of the captain, whom it accuses of being the main culprit for its distress at sea.
Chance to save face?
Laschet is now trying to at least keep control of his departure.
Will the party give him this opportunity to save face?
That will depend above all on the calculations of those who have hopes for the office of CDU chairman.
Do any of them think they can still become Chancellor of a Jamaica coalition thanks to Laschet's declared willingness to make sacrifices?
Probably no one will be eager for the "moderation" of a politician whom their own party and the CSU have labeled as a failure.
Laschet's appearance was not completely clear or convincing either.
But at least the paralysis of the CDU is subsiding.
The process of personnel renewal, which is intended to visibly mark the new beginning, has started.
As Laschet said, the party wants to tread “unconventional” paths.
Accordingly, more grass-roots democracy can also be expected in the CDU in the future.
This is a consequence of the criticism of the personnel decisions of the "establishment" since Merkel withdrew from the party leadership.
Of course, the staff is not everything.
The CDU needs at least as much clarification as to what it wants to stand for in the future.