January 2021 Christian Democratic Union of Germany leadership election

January 2021 Christian Democratic Union leadership election

← 2018 15–16 January 2021 Dec 2021 →
1,001 delegates in the 33rd CDU Federal Congress 501 delegate votes needed to win
Candidate Armin Laschet Friedrich Merz Norbert Röttgen First round 380, 38.42% 385, 38.93% 224, 22.65% Runoff 521, 52.79% 466, 47.21% Eliminated
Leader before election Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer Elected Leader Armin Laschet

The January 2021 Christian Democratic Union leadership election took place on 15 January 2021 at the party's 33rd Congress to elect the leader of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany.

The election was triggered by the resignation of leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer in February 2020. Kramp-Karrenbauer was elected in November 2018 and, while initially popular, suffered a series of difficulties beginning shortly before the 2019 European elections. Her resignation was triggered by her failure to enforce discipline in the CDU's Thuringia branch during the 2020 Thuringian government crisis.^[1][2] The election to replace her was originally scheduled to take place on 25 April 2020 in Berlin, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On 14 September 2020, Secretary-General Paul Ziemiak announced that the Congress would, due to the pandemic, be held as a one-day meeting on 4 December 2020.^[3] However, in late October, the election was further postponed due to a surge in COVID cases nationally.^[4] A virtual Congress was held on 15–16 January, with the election of the new leader held on 16 January. The victor was formally confirmed in a postal vote on 22 January.^[5]

Three candidates stood in the election. Norbert Röttgen, chair of the Bundestag foreign affairs committee, announced his candidacy on 18 February.^[6] This was followed on 25 February by a joint announcement from Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Armin Laschet, who declared his intention to stand for the leadership, with the endorsement of federal Health Minister Jens Spahn.^[7] A few hours later, former leader of the CDU/CSU Bundestag group Friedrich Merz announced his own candidacy.^[8]

Merz won a plurality of votes in the first round of the election, securing 385 (39%) to Laschet's 380 (38%). Röttgen placed third with 224 (23%). Laschet was elected in the runoff, winning 521 (52.8%) of delegate votes, while Merz won 466 (47.2%).^[9] Laschet was formally confirmed by a postal vote on 22 January, winning 83.4% of votes.^[10]