German CDU Politician Erwin Rüddel Passes Away
Erwin Rüddel, a member of the German Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has unexpectedly passed away. CDU leader Friedrich Merz announced the news at the party’s federal convention in Berlin, stating that Rüddel would have attended the event as a delegate from the Rhineland-Palatinate state branch. Rüddel was 69 years old.
Merz praised Rüddel’s dedication to politics and the CDU, saying, “Erwin Rüddel has dedicated his life to politics and our party, in particular. He was a committed health policy expert in our faction. Health and care policy were his focus and he has been engaged in these areas through many years of voluntary work.”
Rüddel was a CDU member since 1972 and served in the German Bundestag since October 2009. He previously held a seat in the Rhineland-Palatinate state legislature from 1987 to 2009, with a brief hiatus from January to May 1987. Rüddel had announced that he would not seek re-election in the upcoming Bundestag election in three weeks.