Armin Laschet, of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has stepped down as state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, a position he has held since 2017, following his party’s disappointing performance in the 2021 federal election. 

Armin Laschet steps down as state premier and party chairperson

“For me, it has been a great honour to shape the future of our state and move North Rhine-Westphalia forward over the past four years as state premier,” Laschet said on Monday as he ended his four-year term as leader of Germany’s most populous federal state. 

He will remain in office until Tuesday, when he begins his term as a member of the Bundestag. Hendrik Wüst, the 46-year-old Minister for Transport in North Rhine-Westphalia, is poised to take over from Laschet, pending a vote in the state parliament on Wednesday. 

Laschet led CDU to their worst-ever election result

Laschet’s resignation comes after the conservatives under his leadership suffered their worst-ever result in the recent election. He had previously indicated that he would step down from the role of state premier after the election, whether or not he was picked to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. 

Laschet also stepped down from his role as party chairperson for the CDU on Saturday.

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