Party members elected lusher in an online convention, beating conservative frigid melts in a runoff.

He is now in a strong position to become the Christian conservatives candidates in general elections held later this year.

The 59 year old Big Met and another rival, Norbert Rifkin, to the top spot.

Lush it is state premier of North Rhine Westphalia, Germany's most popular state.

He is considered a moderate and has vowed to continue Chancellor Angela Merkel's policy of keeping the CDU in the political center.

I should replace us and a great grant, Cardone Bauer, who took over the party leadership from Merkel in 2000 and 18, again land tax violence.

All right, let's bring in our chief political editor, Mikaela Kofman, who's covering the convention forest.

Mikaela, we have the results.

I'm in Lush.

It will be the new CDU party leader.

Who is he?

And what does he stand for?

Yes, well, he's the state premiers.

North Rhine Westphalia.

He stands for continuity.

He stands for what Germany is most known for in the world.

Stability, politics, also Merkel style.

He is a close ally of Angela Merkel.

He is a product off her political structures within the CDU party that she led for 18 years before an agreed camp.

Catherine Bauer took over who also was her favorite but who didn't show much political instinct in that office.

So one favorite is taking over from another here.

Although Merkel did refrain a lot Mawr from giving active backing toe Armin lash it.

It's an open secret that he's the one she wanted, and he's the one her party got.

Okay, so how decisive was the vote in so far, as does lush it now have a mandate to take full control of the party.

Yes, he has a full mandate to shape the program of the party, and this vote was much about who may be the next chancellor candidate and take up from Angela Merkel for riel, as it was about what conservative means when translated into German over those coming a post Merkel years on.

The message is, there isn't so much great change.

There was no departure back to Mawr.

Conservative roots, no shift slightly to the right, as they're potentially would have been with Friedrich Mats, who really saw a different outlook on what conservative means.

Let's listen into what, um, in lash.

It said just after his victory.

You live.

Give a friends joining us from home who have cast your votes today.

E want to thank you for the great trust you have placed in me.

I'm aware of the responsibility that this position entails.

Andi.

I intend to do everything in my power to ensure that way Get through this year together on that.

Together we prevail in the state elections only weeks away on din the national elections too.

On that we ensure once again that the new chancellor comes from our ranks.

Okay, well, our chief political editor, Michaela Kuffner, is still with us.

McKellar, what do you make of this opening statement?

His?

That's an interesting one.

Chancellor comes from our rank.

So he didn't want to rule out that someone else might become Chancellor.

Candidate.

Health Minister Jens Spahn has become the face of the German Corona pandemic response is his teammate in his bid to become party leader.

Now that this has happened, we might well see him rise to a great potential there because I'm a lash.

It said.

He doesn't want to be CEO.

He wants to be the captain off the ship.

The CDU party, Germany's last remaining big tent party, no clear claim that his name would also have to be on that ballot when Germany goes to the elections in September.

So a lot of room for maneuver for those who might want Thio throw in their bid to become the next chancellor, including potentially Marco sued at the state premier of Bavaria on the leader of the CSU conservative sister party there.

So with all of that in mind and general elections very much in full view in our future, what will now be the main task of I'm in lash it well, he has to reunite the party, Frederick Maths, who wanted a clear shift back into a more conservative take on what being a Christian Democrat means who wanted to correct the Merkel course.

He never said it directly, but he is a former political rival of hers.

There was no questions about that eso he will have to integrate that camp that was so critical that was actually threatening, really to stop following Angela Merkel's lead over the migration crisis and that is something he needs to learn to re integrate.

He will have to find his own way there.

He can cash in on on a Merkel as political brand when it goes towards those elections.

But he will also have to navigate a course that sees the CDU not just as a caretaker off the Merkel legacy but also as a party for a new departure into the future.

I know the dust is barely settled on this result, but have there been any immediate reactions to the result?

Well, we've had reactions is so far from amongst those who were speaking there a lot of Twitter comments, but clearly this'd is what was expected in terms of those who felt that the CDU would stand for continuity.

Clearly, Fridge mats, the one who lost, sent the clear signal while good luck guys.

So it doesn't sound like he's going to be on that team.

He was clearly Maurin it to lead from the front, but we're still waiting for much broader international reactions, Michaela, just to clarify before we go.

Germany has general elections in September to clarify arm and lash.

It may not necessarily be replace Merkel as chancellor just to explain that for us well first of all who replaces Merkel is chancellor won't necessarily be from the CDU party.

This is an open vote So whoever comes top it will become the next chancellor of Germany.

The big question is who will the CDU choose with the biggest chances to make sure that the CD once again is the strongest party Thio deliver that Chancellor on There is some question marks whether Armand Latitudes, now in pole position to be on that CDU ticket will actually make it onto that.

Michaela Kuffner, chief political editor Thank you so much.