The chairwoman of the Konrad‑Adenauer‑Stiftung (KAS), Annegret Kramp‑Karrenbauer, denies that her successful campaign against Chancellor‑candidate Friedrich Merz has left any lasting mark. She told “Tagesspiegel” that she and the Chancellor have exchanged several notes since then and are on good terms. “We maintain a healthy relationship, just as it should be between the foundation’s chairwoman and the CDU leader” she added.
In late December, Kramp‑Karrenbauer secured her position as chair in a closed ballot at the foundation’s membership meeting, defeating Günter Krings. Merz had supported the election of the deputy parliamentary group chair for the Union. Kramp‑Karrenbauer, who had beaten Merz in 2018 in the race for CDU party leadership, downplayed the affair: “The mood at the meeting after the election was very relaxed because the process was fair and democratic”.
As the former defence minister, she is keen to raise the KAS’s visibility. “The foundation excels at analysing political processes and generating good ideas, but we often present them too cautiously” she said. While the foundation remains strong in political education, she noted that they need to do more to reach younger people effectively and broaden their impact.