Proposal demanded for a worker radiation protection directive from the Commission concerning risks of ionising radiation exposure.

In a series of events unfolding within the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, Friedrich Merz, a candidate for the CDU leadership, has expressed his view on the matter, advocating for the party conference to be held this year.

Merz, the CDU list leader for North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), made his stance clear in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon. The tweet was in response to his memorable appearance on the "Heute-Journal" and further comments made on Monday.

The current CDU chairperson in NRW, whose term expires on December 7, will be replaced in the coming weeks. However, the search for a successor has not yet resulted in specific names being announced. It's important to note that while Friedrich Merz is the CDU list leader for NRW, there's no direct confirmation that he is the outgoing chairperson on that specific date.

In NRW, 28 out of 54 local associations will have to elect new delegates due to the expiration of their mandates. The process of electing new delegates would require multiple events, extending until January 16.

The CDU party conference, currently being discussed, could potentially be impacted by the delegates' mandate expiration and the need for new elections in NRW. The infection situation is another factor affecting the re-election of CDU delegates.

CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak has rejected Friedrich Merz's criticism regarding the party conference. Ziemiak stated that if delegates cannot be re-elected due to the infection situation, they remain in office.

Despite the challenges, Merz believes that there is no reason to postpone the party conference to January. He has shared his view on the matter with many local chairmen of the CDU who have contacted the party.

The CDU General Secretary's comments were made to Deutschlandfunk, in response to Merz's stance on the party conference. The tweet from Merz indicates that he believes the party conference should not be postponed to January.

In the midst of these developments, the CDU party conference remains a topic of significant discussion and anticipation within the party. Merz's advocacy for an early conference this year underscores his commitment to the CDU's future and his desire to lead the party through these challenging times.