Overview
- Delegates in Heidelberg backed Manuel Hagel with 278 of 288 valid votes for state chair, with no challenger on the ballot.
- The party conference is slated to elect the full state board and adopt the platform for the March 8 state election.
- In his speech, Hagel criticized SPD Federal Labour Minister Bärbel Bas and said Germany does not need socialist slogans during an economic crisis.
- He outlined priorities on the economy, education and security while emphasizing a pro-employer stance.
- Hagel labeled the AfD the CDU’s main rival, noting surveys that place it second behind the Christian Democrats in the state.