Katja Suding, the former deputy chairwoman of the FDP, has voiced her support for Wolfgang Kubicki’s candidacy for the FDP chairmanship. Speaking to the Funke media group’s newspapers on Wednesday, Suding remarked that “freedom requires people who take a stand for it”. She added that Kubicki does this “with great passion, and for that, I have great respect”. Furthermore, she expressed her wishes for him to have “a strong team and a lot of support”. Having been a long-time FDP member, she stated that she will continue to follow the party’s developments “with sympathy and keen interest”. Suding stepped away from active federal politics in 2021.
Kubicki aims to succeed Christian Dürr at the FDP party conference in May. According to his own planning, he intends to rely on established women. As reported by the “Bild” the former Bundestag representative Linda Teuteberg is expected to play a role in his vision, and he also hopes to welcome Katja Suding back. Additionally, he is optimistic that Maria Westphal from Cologne and Susanne Seehofer, the daughter of former CSU chief Horst Seehofer, will help shape the image of the FDP in the coming years.
The party conference suggests a potential contest, as Henning Höne, the party and parliamentary group leader in North Rhine-Westphalia, reiterated on Easter Sunday that he also intends to run for the leadership.