Blow to Merkel as ally Kauder loses senior party job

Record ID: 1357896

  • Title: Blow to Merkel as ally Kauder loses senior party job
  • Date: 25th September 2018
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 25, 2018) (REUTERS) NEWLY ELECTED HEAD OF THE CDU PARLIAMENTARY PARTY, RALPH BRINKHAUS COMING TO GIVE STATEMENT WITH CSU PARLIAMENTARY LEADER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT MEDIA VARIOUS OF BRINKHAUS (SOUNDBITE) (German) NEWLY ELECTED HEAD OF THE CDU PARLIAMENTARY PARTY, RALPH BRINKHAUS, SAYING: "I am very pleased by the result of the vote, now it is importa
  • Embargoed: 9th October 2018 17:16
  • Keywords: CSU/CDU Volker Kauder Ralph Brinkhaus head of the parliamentary party Merkel
  • Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • City: BERLIN, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
  • Reuters ID: LVA0018Z4I9FR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered an unexpected blow to her authority on Tuesday (Spetember 25) when her conservatives voted out long-standing ally Volker Kauder as head of the parliamentary party, the party said on Tuesday.
    His successor is Ralph Brinkhaus, one of the deputy leaders of the conservative group in the Bundestag lower house, comprising Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) and Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU). Brinkhaus won with 125 votes to 112.
    Kauder has accompanied Merkel for 13 years in the job which provides a link between the conservative party's leadership and its increasingly restive lawmakers.
    "I am very pleased by the result of the vote, we have a lot of work to do," said Brinkhaus, adding he had great respect for Kauder's achievements.
    Brinkhaus announced his candidacy a few weeks ago, surprising many commentators who viewed the move as something of a challenge to one of Merkel's closest allies, but he was widely expected to lose.
    Merkel acknowledged she was disappointed by Kauder's defeat but said she would do what she could to support Brinkhaus.
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