US embassy cable - 04FRANKFURT10621

UNCLAS FRANKFURT 010621 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PINR, GM 
SUBJECT: Show of Unity in Baden-Wuerttemberg CDU as 
Oettinger Elected Standard-Bearer for 2006 State Elections 
 
REF: A) Frankfurt 5551, B) Frankfurt 6002, C) Frankfurt 
6769, D) Frankfurt 7197, E) Frankfurt 9139, F) Frankfurt 
9252 
 
Sensitive but unclassified; not for internet distribution. 
 
1. (SBU) At a special party convention on December 11 in 
Schwaebisch-Gmuend, Baden-Wuerttemberg CDU delegates elected 
Guenther Oettinger as standard-bearer for the 2006 state 
elections (following Oettinger's victory in a referendum 
among the 80,000 state party members).  Oettinger's 
referendum win (with 60.6% of the vote versus 39.4% for 
state Education Minister Annette Schavan) was a defeat for 
outgoing M-P Erwin Teufel, who had promoted Schavan as his 
successor.  Schavan graciously accepted her defeat, calling 
on convention delegates to unite behind Oettinger.  In the 
latest slight to Oettinger, Teufel declined to encourage 
convention delegates to vote for his designated successor. 
In press statements, State SPD/Social Democrat chairman Ute 
Vogt criticized the "power vacuum" of the coming five 
months, branding Teufel an ineffective lame duck 
"assassinated" by Oettinger. 
 
2. (U) With 94.7% of delegates, Oettinger has a clear 
mandate from the party.  In his acceptance speech, Oettinger 
set out his key priorities:  consolidating the state's 
budget, improving the business climate, better 
transportation links, and expanded day-care.  He also 
indicated that most of Teufel's cabinet would stay on and 
thanked Schavan and Teufel for their service. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
3. (SBU) Oettinger's strong showing at the state convention 
(with more support than Teufel received in December 2003) 
indicates that most Baden-Wuerttemberg conservatives welcome 
the change of generations and want to bury the hatchet after 
a year of back-biting.  The highly-visible referendum 
strengthened the precedent for direct democracy in choosing 
party leaders (NOTE: the Rheinland-Pfalz CDU also recently 
held a membership referendum to confirm Christoph Boehr as 
standard-bearer for 2006 state elections -- END NOTE). 
Whether the CDU can make up lost ground in one of its 
primary strongholds depends on how the embittered Teufel and 
his successor handle the awkward five months until the 
change of administration in April 2005.  END COMMENT. 
 
BODDE