A coalition of the Greens in North Rhine-Westphalia has expressed support for the former Minister-President of the state, Armin Laschet (CDU), to be elected as the President of the German Bundestag.
According to Tim Achtermeyer, the state chairman of the NRW Greens, speaking to the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” (Tuesday’s edition), “In these turbulent times, it is necessary to have people who have shown that they want to and can bring people together.” Armin Laschet has demonstrated this attitude as Integration Minister, State Father and also in the last three years without a prominent office.
It is the right of every faction to propose people for offices. “However, the office of the Bundestag President has a special function for the state and goes beyond party lines” the politician from Bonn said. If he could pass on a request to his CDU colleagues, it would be to “take into account the special talent and the undisputed suitability of Armin Laschet for this office – also to re-endow the office of the Bundestag President and thus the second-highest office in the state, with a new gravitational force emanating from the person.”
The prospects for Laschet, however, are likely to be rather poor despite the demand of the NRW Greens. In Berlin’s political circles, Julia Klöckner is seen as the favorite for the position.