Despite announcing his candidacy for the FDP chair, Henning Höne, the party’s vice‑chair, does not shake Christian Dürr’s resolve to run for re‑election at the national party conference scheduled for the end of May. “I am presenting a different offer for the FDP-as an optimistic reformer with a clear market‑economy focus” Dürr told Der Spiegel, referring to Höne as the challenger.
Dürr reminded readers that the FDP has only been successful when it places the most pressing issues of the era at the heart of its work, answered with classic liberal principles. He noted that the party’s major societal achievements in the 1970s were the result of this approach, and that today those same principles must address the economic anxieties of millions.
Earlier in the week, the FDP federal executive board, chaired by Dürr, had decided to step back entirely from the leadership contest but subsequently chose to re‑enter the race, at least in part, for the upcoming party congress.