Kramp-Karrenbauer on German Presidency, Merz and Merkel

Former CDU party chair Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has weighed in on the question of who will succeed Frank-Walter Steinmeier as German Federal President, declaring firmly: "It will be a woman." In an interview with Julia Emmrich and Jan Dörner, the 63-year-old political figure discusses whether she might herself be a candidate for the role, offering clear responses to the speculation surrounding her potential candidacy.

The conversation covers Kramp-Karrenbauer's relationship with current Chancellor Friedrich Merz, a man who attempted to block her career advancement twice—first as CDU party leader and later as head of the Adenauer Foundation—efforts that ultimately proved unsuccessful. She describes their current dynamic as transcending a purely professional working relationship, noting they communicate via phone calls and text messages, though they have not become close friends. She characterizes their bond as more substantial than a merely transactional arrangement.

Angela Merkel features prominently in the discussion, particularly regarding a pivotal moment when the failed Jamaica coalition negotiations in Saarland prompted the then-Chancellor to call Kramp-Karrenbauer from Berlin. Merkel was notably displeased with the outcome. Kramp-Karrenbauer recounts: "Merkel called and I'll put it this way: if anyone claims she cannot raise her voice, I can tell them that's simply not true." Despite the significant risk at that time—she could have become a state minister with an exceptionally short tenure—Kramp-Karrenbauer's career progressed differently. She was re-elected in Saarland, became CDU General Secretary in 2018, served as CDU party leader for approximately two years, and subsequently became Defense Minister under Chancellor Merkel.

Today, Kramp-Karrenbauer serves as chair of the Adenauer Foundation, a position Merz had intended to fill with a man instead. Her relationship with the former Chancellor differs markedly from that with Merz; she describes it as "comradely" and maintains regular contact with Merkel. She notes they recently managed to have the coffee meeting they had long planned together.