Bet on Merkel’s Successor in CDU

According to online sportsbook news in Germany, Angela Merkel said,

“Firstly, at the next CDU party conference in December in Hamburg, I will not put myself forward again as candidate for the CDU chair.”

Her decision comes after CDU slummed to 27% in the western state of Hesse, its worst result there since 1966. On the same day of her announcement, four contenders threw their hats into the hat. Here is the profile of each contender you can select when betting on the next CDU leader.      

AKK the current favourite to become Markel’s successor

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, widely known as AKK, is the current party Secretary-General. She was previously the premier of the tiny state of Saarland from 2011 to 2018. According to Unibet Sportsbook, she has the best chance of becoming the new CDU leader as of now.

AKK or “mini-Merkel” as the German media call her, could be seen as moderate who would continue Merkel’s centrist policies. Merkel herself named AKK in February as party secretary general, a move seen to many as a succession plan. CDU leftists appreciate her for supporting the minimum wage and workers’ rights. Simultaneously, conservatives praise her for being outspoken about traditional family values.

Friedrich Merz on the conservative wing

Friedrich Merz, 62, is the first candidate to join the race. He was the leader of the CDU-CSU grouping in the Bundestag, before Merkel took the helm in 2000. Merz, a trained lawyer,  was also a member of the European Parliament. He left the political scene for a while, waiting for the best opportunity to make a comeback.

His strength lies in good relations with the corporate world. Merz holds several senior positions in German businesses. For example, he is the chairman of BlackRock Germany and Cologne Bonn Airport’s supervisory board. He is also the leading member of CDU’s conservative wing, calling for Muslim immigrants to assimilate and adopt German values. His odds tp replace Merkel stand at 2.50.

Jens Spahn’s anti-immigration rhetoric could work against him

Jens Spahn, 38, is the youngest candidate. He is Catholic and openly gay. Jens is Merkel’s most outspoken critics within the CDU since her decision in 2015 to welcome more than a million refugees. However, his anti-immigration rhetoric and his public friendship with Trump’s ambassador to Berlin will cost him sympathy among Merkel’s allies. That being said, his odds value at 5.00.  

Is Armin Laschet too nice for politics?

According to best sportsbook sites in Germany, Armin Laschet is the least favourite candidate in the race. His odds are 15.00. The reason behind that is his support to Ms. Merkel at the height of the refugee crisis. Also, he has been branded by the German media as too nice for politics. Yet, he is the state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state of 18 million people.