Following the European parliamentary elections and the regional ballot in the state of Thuringia, pressure is mounting among the ranks of the Christian Democrat Union (CDU) to confirm current party chairman and parliamentary group leader, Angela Merkel as the official chancellor candidate. "After the Union's monumental victory in the European elections, the Union should hurry up and elect Angela Merkel…" Hermann Winkler, the secretary general of the CDU in Saxony told the Bild newspaper. In addition, a number of leading politicians in the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, have spoken out in favour of Merkel. The deputy chairman of the CSU parliamentary group, Gerd Müller, said Merkel has "all the qualities needed to become chancellor."