Overview
- CDU leader Friedrich Merz formally nominated deputy parliamentary group leader Günter Krings, praising his national and international experience and long-standing ties to the foundation in a letter to Norbert Lammert.
- Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is also running with formal nominations from Caritas president Eva Maria Welskop-Deffaa and former ZdK chief Thomas Sternberg.
- The race is widely seen as an internal test of Merz’s influence over party-aligned institutions and the future direction of the CDU’s think-tank network.
- Reports confirm a 19 December vote by the foundation’s members, though coverage differs on the electorate’s size, citing either 52 or 55 voters.
- Norbert Lammert, who has led the foundation since 2018, announced in September he would not seek another term, underscoring the significance of the succession at the globally active organization.