(Bloomberg) -- Supporters of the man who may become Germany’s next leader raced to defend him, after his unorthodox foreign policy views raised questions about his credentials to succeed Angela Merkel.
The newly-elected leader of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, Armin Laschet, incorrectly tweeted in 2016 that the Obama administration had backed the militant Islamic State in Syria. Two years earlier, after Russia’s incursion into Crimea, Laschet criticized a wave of “marketable anti-Putin populism” spreading across Germany.
“I don’t agree with those critics who claim that Laschet has an underdeveloped foreign policy profile,” party ally David McAllister, head of the European Parliament’s foreign committee, told reporters on Tuesday. “Armin Laschet has my whole support.”
Merkel’s Party Elects Leader Committed to Upholding Her Legacy
As party leader, Laschet is in pole position to run as Chancellor candidate in September’s elections. If he can clinch the chancellorship, he would be dealing regularly with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on a range of security issues from the Middle East to Russia. After Biden’s victory, Laschet rushed to congratulate him, praising the result as proof that elections can still be won without a populist campaign.
“Armin Laschet is a convinced European, and he also knows the USA,” McAllister said. “Of course, there can be differences of opinion between Europeans and Americans on certain topics.”
The CDU can ill-afford another misstep. The head of the country’s most populous state was elected party leader on Saturday after defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, hand-picked by Merkel as her successor two years ago, stepped aside after a series of gaffes.
Chancellor Candidate
While the party leader usually goes on to be the chancellor candidate for Germany’s conservative bloc, that step isn’t automatic this time. The Bavarian CSU sister party will have an important say in the decision, and Markus Soeder, the Christian Social Union’s leader, is currently well ahead in polls.
And in reality, the U.S. has little to fear from Laschet, analysts say. Describing Laschet as “no foreign policy expert,” Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding said he expects him to “continue Merkel’s foreign policy.”
“Laschet stands here for continuity with the Merkel government,” McAllister said. “Our American partners can already prepare for it.”
Laschet’s office wasn’t immediately available for comment.
Últimas Noticias
Debanhi Escobar: they secured the motel where she was found lifeless in a cistern
Members of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office in Nuevo León secured the Nueva Castilla Motel as part of the investigations into the case
The oldest person in the world died at the age of 119
Kane Tanaka lived in Japan. She was born six months earlier than George Orwell, the same year that the Wright brothers first flew, and Marie Curie became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize
Macabre find in CDMX: they left a body bagged and tied in a taxi
The body was left in the back seats of the car. It was covered with black bags and tied with industrial tape
The eagles of America will face Manchester City in a duel of legends. Here are the details
The top Mexican football champion will play a match with Pep Guardiola's squad in the Lone Star Cup
Why is it good to bring dogs out to know the world when they are puppies
A so-called protection against the spread of diseases threatens the integral development of dogs
