Jon Worth Profile picture
15 Jan, 10 tweets, 2 min read
What's the biggest error in all the reporting about #CDUvorsitz?

People not understanding the process

This piece for example:
n-tv.de/politik/Norber…

1/10
The key line: "Zieht er [Röttgen] seine Kandidatur für den Vorsitz durch, steigen die Chancen auf einen Sieg von Friedrich Merz."

"If he [Röttgen] continues his candidacy for leader, the chances of a victory for Friedrich Merz increase."

2/10
I'm pretty sure that's *not* right.

Why?

Because of the process

If Merz, Laschet and Röttgen were up against each other in a first past the post, 1 round election, it would be so. Merz would likely get +/- 40%, Röttgen and Laschet +/- 30% each, Merz would win

3/10
But that's not how the process works

In the first round, the three candidates are up against each other, *but if none of them gets 50%, the top 2 go into a run-off* - "Stichwahl" in German

4/10
Example: say the result is Merz 40%, Laschet 32%, Röttgen 28% - means Röttgen drops out, and in the run-off Merz would face Laschet

The decisive question then becomes: those who backed Röttgen in round 1, who will they back in the run off?

5/10
And as both Laschet and Röttgen are centrists / pragmatists, we can assume more ex-Röttgen votes would go to Laschet than to Merz, and more ex-Laschet votes would go to Röttgen than to Merz

6/10
Is there anything else to suggest Röttgen would necessarily fare worse in a run-off against Merz than Laschet would?

No, not in my view. Party grandees fearful of Merz would likely swing behind Röttgen to stop Merz

7/10
Indeed it may indeed even be the opposite - Röttgen, with his stronger views on foreign policy, and firmer commitments on green issues - may even fare *better* than über-pragmatist Laschet would in a run off against Merz

8/10
There is of course the danger than Merz wins in the first round - with over 50% of the vote. But then whether he's up against 1 or 2 further candidates is 🤷‍♂️ - he'd have won anyway

9/10
So - because of the process - don't ask: "which of the three candidates is the most popular?"

Instead ask: "can either Laschet or Röttgen win a run off against Merz?"

And the answer is yes, either could. And there's no point either dropping out.

10/10

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More from @jonworth

16 Jan
So the CDU has gone for Laschet as Party Leader

That means Röttgen and Merz will not become Chancellor Candidate, but Laschet or Söder, and possibly Spahn, still can...

🆕 #CDUVorsitz V4.0.0 diagram now out! Image
Headline numbers - chances to be Chancellor Candidate
Laschet 5️⃣2️⃣%
Söder 4️⃣3️⃣%
Spahn 5️⃣%
Why is Laschet the slight favourite?

Essentially because I cannot see - in the time *before* the decision on the Chancellor Candidate is to be made - how things can go very badly for the CDU. And if the CDU is content, they will not call Söder
Read 6 tweets
16 Jan
OK then.

So the new CDU Party Leader #CDUvorsitz is known - it's Armin Laschet.

This 🧵 will explain why he won, explain what he means, and outline what happens next.

1/20 Image
At the CDU's party congress today, the three candidates - Laschet, Friedrich Merz & Norbert Röttgen - gave 15 min speeches

That was the first signal of what was to come... Today we saw the very best of Laschet - playing the reliable, careful person, not heavy on detail

2/20
Merz by contrast gave an ill focused speech, and did not make a single reference to Merkel or AKK, the outgoing party leader. He seems to have learned nothing

Röttgen, long the outsider, gave a speech with a lot more detail - especially on green issues and the future

3/20
Read 20 tweets
15 Jan
So 🇩🇪 CDU chooses its new party leader #CDUvorsitz *tomorrow morning*

This 🧵 gives an overview of the articles *in English* about the process

I've written a summary of the entire process for @ukandeu here: ukandeu.ac.uk/angela-merkel-…

1/8
With a focus on this weekend's decisions, this by @philipoltermann for The Guardian is a good starting point

theguardian.com/world/2021/jan…

2/8
Meanwhile @JeremyCliffe for New Statesman puts all of what's happening now into the wider context of how Merkel changed the CDU's voter coalition, and examines whether that can hold now

newstatesman.com/world/europe/2…

3/8
Read 9 tweets
14 Jan
🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

Wieso ist so etwas möglich?

Coronafällen in Berlin: 194,7 Fällen pro 100000/7 Tage, 2 Ampeln auf rot...

... aber jemandem hat vergessen die Friste für digitale Wohnungsanmeldungen in Berlin zu Verlängern
Wie man eine Wohnungsanmeldung macht, Stand 31.10.2020 - digitale Anmeldungen bis 31.12.2020 möglich

Quelle: web.archive.org/web/2020103119…
Wie man eine Wohnungsanmeldung macht, jetzigen Stand - jetzt ist ein Termin vor Ort nötig! 🤦‍♂️

Quelle (aktuelle Version der Seite von dem vorherigen Tweet): service.berlin.de/dienstleistung…
Read 6 tweets
14 Jan
So @tom_nuttall asked earlier for guesses as to who will win the CDU leadership election...

It's pretty certain Merz will make it to the #CDUVorsitz 2nd round

Who would he have better chances to *BEAT* in the 2nd round? Do justify your choice by replying!
I'd argue that Merz would sooner face Laschet in Round 2

Why?

Because there are more Röttgen supporters who might have Merz as 2nd preference than there are Laschet supporters who would
Read 5 tweets
13 Jan
2021 is the end of Angela Merkel's time as Chancellor of 🇩🇪

The process to choose her successor starts this week

This 🧵 will explain all the important stages of this rather complex process!

1/25
There are three stages to this:
1️⃣ Merkel's CDU Party choses a new Party Leader on 16 Jan (tag: #CDUVorsitz)
2️⃣ Later in spring Members of the Bundestag of CDU and CSU choose who will be Chancellor Candidate
3️⃣ Bundestag Election 26 Sep, followed by coalition negotiations

2/25
1️⃣ CDU choses new Party Leader

Merkel has not been CDU party leader since 2018. Current leader - Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer - is stopping. 1001 Delegates at a party conference taking place digitally 15-16 Jan choose new Leader, in 2 rounds of voting. 3 candidates running

3/25
Read 26 tweets

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