Seehofer’s decision leaves open the possibility that he could become a minister in the next German government. Asked about that prospect on Monday, he replied: “First we’ll see which ministries are available for the CSU, then we’ll see what faces come into question for them.” [...]
Seehofer reportedly told CSU members that he and Söder have a good working relationship — a sign that he backed the finance minister as his successor, even though Söder is a polarizing figure within the party and the two have long have been seen as enemies. [...]
Earlier this year, Seehofer indicated that he planned to continue both as Bavarian premier and CSU leader after the 2018 state election. However, the CSU’s poor performance in September’s German general election — the party won 39 percent of the vote in Bavaria, a 10-point drop from four years earlier — prompted questions about his leadership.
The party is anxious to retain its absolute majority in the Bavarian state parliament and fend off electoral challenges from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Critics charged that Seehofer hewed too closely to Merkel’s centrist policies during Germany’s refugee crisis, ceding political ground to the strongly anti-immigration AfD. Most CSU members tend to be considerably further right on the issue than Merkel.
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