Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, premier of the small western German state of Saarland, was nominated on Monday to take over as secretary general of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).

Tauber is stepping down from the post after undergoing an operation for inflammatory bowel disease

Kramp-Karrenbauer, one of Merkel's closest allies, is respected in the CDU for helping the party win Saarland's state election last year and played a key role in coalition talks between the conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD).

Announcing the decision at a press conference, Merkel said the party's board accepted Kramp-Karrenbauer's nomination with "strong support," adding that the state premier could "play a stronger role on the national level."

Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that by accepting the nomination, she would be stepping down as Saarland's state premier.

"We're experiencing one of the most difficult political phases in Germany's (postwar) history. I believe that one shouldn't only talk about responsibility in such times, but should also be prepared to be personally engaged," Kramp-Karrenbauer said in a statement.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, CDU Kramp-Karrenbauer, also known as AKK, was Merkel's choice to become general secretary of the CDU in 2018. She is reputedly Merkel's pick as a successor as party leader. AKK headed a CDU-SPD coalition as state premier in the small southwestern state of Saarland before becoming the CDU's general secretary. She is considered a moderate who would continue Merkel's centrist policies.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Jens Spahn, CDU The 38-year-old is the youngest and most overtly determined Merkel usurper. He entered the Bundestag in 2002 and became Germany's health minister in 2018. Spahn, who is openly gay, is popular in the CDU's conservative wing. He opposes limited dual citizenship for young foreigners, criticized attempts to loosen laws on advertising abortions and called for banning the Burqa in public.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Friedrich Merz, CDU The former leader of the CDU/CSU grouping in the Bundestag has been out of frontline politics since leaving the Bundestag in 2009. But the 62-year-old announced his intention to replace Merkel within hours of the news that she would be stepping down. Merz reportedly fell out with Merkel after she replaced him as CDU/CSU group leader in 2002. He has been a chairman at Blackrock since 2016.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Armin Laschet, CDU Laschet became state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2017. His win marked a major defeat for Social Democrats in Germany's 18 million-strong "coal" state. He has ruled out running as CDU head while Merkel remains chancellor. But he has hinted that he may announce his candidacy once Merkel has stood down, which would make it possible to occupy both posts simultaneously.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Julia Klöckner, CDU Klöckner became agriculture minister in 2018 and has been CDU chief in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate since 2011. In 1995, before entering politics, she became Germany's "Wine Queen." Like Spahn, she belongs to the CDU's conservative wing. She raised eyebrows in 2016 when she proposed an alternative plan to Merkel's refugee policy.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Peter Altmaier, CDU Altmeier, known as "Merkel's bodyguard," has supported the chancellor's centrist policy platform on multiple fronts. Originally from Saarland, Altmaier first worked for the European Union before entering the Bundestag in 1994. The former environment minister turned economy minister is renowned for his kitchen diplomacy and being a stickler for policy detail.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Ursula von der Leyen, CDU Von der Leyen became defense minister in 2013 after serving a stint as labor minister. Despite her reform efforts, defense spending remains stubbornly low and the military continues to suffer from widespread equipment shortages. Von der Leyen, who studied in the United States and Britain, supports a larger role for Germany abroad and improving links between national armies in the European Union.

Angela Merkel's potential successors as chancellor Volker Bouffier, CDU Volker Bouffier has been the premier of the central state of Hesse since 2010. He formerly served as the state's interior minister and has twice "won" Big Brother awards from German data privacy advocates for propagating closer surveillance methods by police. The 66-year-old currently heads a CDU-Greens state government in Hesse and is a deputy chairperson in the national CDU executive. Author: Ian P. Johnson, Alexander Pearson



According to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, Merkel and Kramp-Karrenbauer agreed she would take over the post months ago once it became clear that the current secretary general would not continue.

The outgoing CDU secretary general, 43-year-old Peter Tauber, is stepping down from his post following a serious illness, party sources said on Sunday.

In a blog post headlined "Why I'm making way for a new general secretary" — deliberately using the female form of the word — he announced his departure from the post on Monday. Tauber urged for the CDU to become "younger, more female and more diverse."

"There are not enough young people, far too few women, and not enough Germans with an immigration background who are involved in our ranks," he wrote.

Rumored Merkel successor

Kramp-Karrenbauer's nomination is significant as the center-right party starts to look for someone who will lead the party and possibly Germany after Merkel.

Saarland's 55-year-old premier has led two successive state coalition governments with the CDU and the center-left SPD. Before becoming CDU party head and chancellor, Merkel was also the CDU's secretary general.

Read more: Germany's Angela Merkel says she's still in control, despite coalition concessions to SPD

Kramp-Karrenbauer is one of Merkel's closest allies in the party

Merkel's conservative CDU and its Bavarian sister-party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) struck a deal with the SPD to form another grand coalition government that has held power in Germany since 2013.

It's the first time Kramp-Karrenbauer, also referred to as "AKK," will have played a role on the national political stage. The move could prove risky, however, as Kramp-Karrenbauer isn't a member of parliament, and could put her in conflict with the CDU's powerful parliamentary group, reported Süddeutsche Zeitung.

At a party congress in Berlin on February 26, CDU delegates will vote on the coalition deal, as well as decide the party's next secretary general.

Read more: New members in Germany's SPD may play pivotal role in coalition deal's success

The coalition deal's final fate, however, rests with the SPD's 464,000 party members who will start voting on the deal via a postal ballot on Tuesday. The results will be announced on March 4.

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rs/ng (AFP, dpa, Reuters)