The deputy CSU chairman Manfred Weber will in future be at the head of the largest European party family, the EPP.

The 49-year-old was elected unopposed on Tuesday evening at a two-day congress in Rotterdam with 89 percent of the votes as president of the Christian Democratic organization, which also includes the Union parties CDU and CSU.

Weber replaces the former EU Council President and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who wants to concentrate fully on national politics again.

Weber faces the task of leading the alliance of 81 differently profiled member parties to greater unity and to the European elections in 2024.

In the European Parliament, the conservative party family holds a quarter of the seats.

It is the head of state or government in seven of the 27 EU countries.

More meaning for the EPP as a goal

The declared goal of Niederbayern Weber is to give the EVP more importance again.

The Christian Democrats had recently had to accept sensitive defeats - for example in the federal elections in Germany or the presidential elections in France.

Other important EU countries are not currently governed by Christian Democrats either.

In Italy, the independent Mario Draghi is in power, Spain is governed by the social democrat Pedro Sánchez, and the Netherlands by the liberal Mark Rutte.

Altogether there are only around half a dozen Christian Democrats at the head of state or government in an EU country.

The economically strongest of these is Austria.

In his election speech, Weber emphasized that the EPP is Europe's rule-of-law party.

Only the EPP guarantees a social market economy.

He sharply criticized the federal government.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) shows “no will, no determination, no leadership” because of the strong pro-Russian networks in the SPD, which former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder also embodies.

The first message that the EPP as a family of parties must now send is a signal to Ukraine that it is welcome as an EU member.

Weber had previously spoken out in favor of Ukraine joining the EU.

At the Catholic Day in Stuttgart at the end of May, Weber advocated a vigorous course against Russia and arms deliveries to the Ukraine.

Russia's attack on Ukraine endangers the entire free and democratic model of life.

"It's about our life model based on Christian values," said the European politician at a panel discussion.

The war in Ukraine is therefore "our war".

Autocrats like Russian President Vladimir Putin are unlikely to win.

Weber moved from Bavarian state politics to the EU Parliament in 2004, where he has been the EPP parliamentary group leader since 2014.

In 2019 he was the EPP's top candidate for the office of Commission President, which, however, went to Ursula von der Leyen (CDU).

The Bavarian, who is conservative in terms of values, relies on market-based incentives when it comes to climate protection and on a strict course in migration policy.

He is regarded as a committed and communicative type who brings together the different positions within the parliamentary group.

During the 2019 election campaign, he advocated strengthening European border protection, better protection of Europe against terrorism, housing loans for young families, a global ban on child labour, a European master plan to fight cancer and more ambitious climate protection.

Possible stopover for the CSU presidency

It is considered conceivable that the EVP post could also be a stopover for Weber on the way back home.

The incumbent CSU chairman, Markus Söder, recently had to struggle with less good poll numbers.

Although Weber emphasized that he was "skin and hair" European.

However, he does not explicitly rule out a candidacy.

This question simply does not arise, said the 49-year-old recently.

In return, Söder acknowledged Weber as a great European even before his election.

"We are proud and very happy for him."

At the EPP Congress, CDU party leader Friedrich Merz also gave a speech.

Christian Democrats and centre-right parties must show that they want to become "the decisive political force", both at European and national level.

He referred to the 2024 European elections and the 2025 federal elections.

Outgoing EPP leader Tusk called Weber a "man of compromises, but never when it comes to principles".

Weber was "always on the right side of things with the calm courage that is so typical of him".