For two years, because of Corona, hardly anything could take place in person in the CDU district association Düren-Jülich.

The Christian Democrats want to start the new start all the more stylishly on this early summer afternoon.

They have booked Burgau Castle for their long-delayed annual reception.

In the imposing brick building, theater is otherwise performed, concerts are given and weddings are celebrated.

All 350 seats in the hall are occupied when the guest of honor of the afternoon moves into the hall to the music of Coldplay: Hendrik Wüst, slim-fit suit, open collar.

Pure burger

Political correspondent in North Rhine-Westphalia.

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It was only at the end of October that the 46-year-old libertine followed the failed Union chancellor candidate, Armin Laschet, in the office of Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Hardly more than six months later, Wüst has to defend his office.

North Rhine-Westphalia will elect a new state parliament on Sunday.

It could be tight for Wüst, because it shouldn't be enough for a continuation of the black and yellow state government.

For weeks now, pollsters have been seeing Wüst's CDU neck and neck with challenger Thomas Kutschaty's SPD, who wants to either revive red-green or form a traffic light coalition.

Wüst embodies continuity and departure

But on that very day, Wüst was already on his way to Düren, new figures from Forsa leaked out in advance.

For the first time in a long time, the CDU seems to be able to set itself apart a little more clearly, it is four points ahead.

The next day, however, Infratest-Dimap sees the CDU only two points ahead.

Wüst himself speaks of a close race because he is convinced that this is not a disadvantage at all, but actually helps to mobilize the base.

Wüst's strategy is, on the one hand, to score points with the balance sheet of the black and yellow state government, which he has been a member of since the summer of 2017 as Minister of Transport.

On the other hand, he tries to present himself as a fresh force with his own plan for the future with his slogan "Do what matters".

In Burgau Castle, the Prime Minister first lists what he considers the most important government achievements.

When it comes to the expansion of wind power, North Rhine-Westphalia is currently at the top of the list of federal states - regardless of whether the competition in the election campaign claims the opposite.

The school chaos of the previous red-green government has been eliminated, the turbo high school diploma has been abolished, the topic of inclusion has been pacified.

Thousands of new jobs for police officers and teachers have been created.

"Anyone who is familiar with the school knows: That's not enough,

And so that the increase in jobs in the police force continues, the CDU must remain in government.

"The Cologne New Year's Eve was the domestic and security policy low point of red-green." Thanks to Interior Minister Herbert Reul, the people of North Rhine-Westphalia had regained the confidence that the state could protect them.

"The state election is also about whether Reul remains Minister of the Interior," calls Wüst into the applause.

It is obvious that Wüst cites his Minister of the Interior as one of the central arguments for his election in each of his speeches.

The 69-year-old Reul is by far the most popular state minister in North Rhine-Westphalia.

While Prime Minister Daniel Günther was able to raise his CDU to new heights in Schleswig-Holstein last Sunday, Wüst has not been in office long enough for him to be able to compensate for the meager poll numbers of the black and yellow state government with a pronounced office bonus.