Sources close to Interior Minister Horst Seehofer have told a respected German newspaper that he plans to resign. Seehofer's spokesperson has denied the reports.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Stache
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Horst Seehofer, the leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Bavarian sister party, will resign from his role in the next few days, according to a German media report.
Sources told Die Zeit newspaper that Seehofer's decision to leave the helm of the Christian Social Union (CSU) has been influenced by Merkel's planned resignation from the leadership of her own party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
What we know so far
Numerous sources close to Seehofer told Die Zeit that he plans to step down from the party leadership but wants to stay on as interior minister.
The Seehofer's spokesman denied the claims, saying the interior minister had not committed to stepping down from the role.
The CSU press office told DW that it had no further information.
Seehofer later denied reports, calling them a "red herring."
Seehofer's tenure as CSU leader: Seehofer has been at the helm of the party since 2008. The CSU is closely with Merkel's CDU, and is part of the German government coalition. Despite the alliance, Seehofer has been a stark critic of Merkel, in particular of her migration policy.
Increasingly under pressure: The past few months have put Seehofer under increased scrutiny. On the one hand, the CSU performed poorly in last month's state election in Bavaria; on the other, there have been increasing disputes with the party's government coalition partners, the CDU and the Social Democrats. Two big topics of contention: migration policy and Seehofer's support of disgraced former intelligence chief Georg Maassen.
CSU: Who could replace Bavaria's King Horst?
Bavaria's premier and Christian Social Union leader Horst Seehofer vowed to "fight like a lion" at the failed coalition talks. But that may have been his last roar. So who's waiting in the wings to replace him?
Image: picture alliance/dpa/P. Kneffel
Something to take away the pain
Horst Seehofer (right) has effectively lived, breathed and eaten CSU values, probably since he was born. The 69-year-old has been at the helm of the party and Bavaria since 2008 and has, thus far, staved off challenges to his throne by young upstarts such as Markus Söder (left). More on him a little later. But in the wake of a crushing September election result, Seehofer may no longer be tenable.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow
Seehofer hinted at his resignation following the CSU debacle in Bavaria in October 2018. Later, when German media cited sources close to him to report he would soon step down, Seehofer denied it. Just days later, he reportedly told top CSU members he would relinquish his office, and probably step down as interior minister at a later date.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Stein
'I get knocked down, but I get up again'
Lyrics from what is possibly Markus Söder's favorite tune. One of the pretenders to Seehofer's throne, the finance minister has been forging alliances within the CSU to prop up his position as the next-in-line. Problem is, his boss doesn't see it that way and quite frankly doesn't like him. Standing in front of the Acropolis might be the pinnacle for him — akro is Greek for "highest point."
Image: Jörg Koch/Bayeriches Finanzministerium/dpa
Let's see what this button does
Arguably the smoothest of the CSU's smooth operators, Alexander Dobrindt has made a name for himself at the national level as transport minister — but not necessarily for the right reasons: Dieselgate, a controversial road toll and the farce that is the planned Berlin-Brandenburg airport, to be completed in...oh, stop it. Anyway, Seehofer seems to like him and his checkered suits.
Image: Getty Images/J. Schlueter
Into the light
Unassuming but not to be underestimated, Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann is respected beyond the state and was touted to head up the federal Interior Ministry before it all went pear-shaped. He's known for his tough stance on a refugee cap, an issue dear to his boss Seehofer's heart. His age, 61, may count against him if the CSU really does want to rejuvenate.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/K. Nietfeld
You think my hat looks silly? Look behind me
While she may need to work on her hat choices, deputy premier and Bavarian Economics Minister Ilse Aigner at least has a clear idea of what she wants politically. She's positioned herself as a possible Seehofer successor, much to his chagrin, by calling for a primary to decide on who should lead the CSU in next year's state election.
Image: Getty Images/J. Simon
I'll get my coat then
Manfred Weber heads the European People's Party in the European Parliament — don't fall asleep just yet. While that would normally exclude him from new pastures within the CSU, on the grounds of being boring, he's seen as one of Seehofer's key confidants and has defended his boss against attacks from the CSU's youth wing. He's been a steadying influence within the party.
Image: Imago/Sven Simon
The Dark Knight rises
Remember Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg? He of the slicked-back, jet-black hair and a plagiarized dissertation? The thing is, the people in Bavaria love him and Germany arguably never had a cooler-looking defense minister. But, more importantly, Seehofer has made no attempts to hide his admiration and sees Guttenberg as his and the party's natural hair, er, heir.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Gambarini
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Who could be his successor? The state premier of Bavaria, Markus Söder, is likely to succeed Seehofer as head of the CSU — if his resignation were confirmed. Söder has been one of Seehofer's strongest rivals. Just over a year ago, Seehofer had stepped down as state premier to make room for Söder after the CSU performed poorly in Germany's federal elections.
Merkel's twin resignation: Seehofer's reported resignation comes less than two weeks after Merkel announced that she would be stepping down from the helm of the CDU. She said she would remain chancellor until the end of her term in 2021.
