State Secretary Julia Kloeckner to Challenge Kurt Beck in

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 FRANKFURT 000548 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL GM SUBJECT: State Secretary Julia Kloeckner to Challenge Kurt Beck in 2011 State Election REF: 09 FRANKFURT 1931 ¶1. (SBU)SUMMARY: The Rheinland-Pfalz (R-P) Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has chosen Julia Kloeckner, Member of the Bundestag and State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Consumer Protection, as lead candidate for the 2011 state election, improving chances for the party to bring about a change in government. Beck's image has suffered significant damage from the Nuerburgring scandal (Reftel) and the R-P CDU in general is suffering from unauthorized use of police data in connection with that scandal. Kloeckner, however, stands above the local problems since she has spent her political career almost exclusively in Berlin. END SUMMARY A Strategic Masterpiece -------------- ¶2. (SBU)With the decision of Christian Baldauf, state and caucus chairman of the R-P CDU, to step aside and nominate Kloeckner as the party's lead candidate, the CDU's chances of winning the elections have increased. Baldauf not only set his personal ambitions aside by nominating Kloeckner, but he has picked the most promising candidate. Kloeckner will be officially selected as lead candidate at a R-P CDU state convention on April 17 in Mainz. Contacts in the R-P state chancellery told consulate representatives that the SPD was shocked by Baldauf's unanticipated move. Although Kloeckner has been viewed as a future rival, no one in the SPD expected her to run as early as 2011. Christian Goebel, economic expert at the state chancellery, told consulate representatives in the summer of 2009 that "the SPD is lucky not having to deal with Kloeckner. Should she ever decide to run, things might get very uncomfortable for Beck." Baldauf's decision also came as a surprise to parts of the CDU. Jan Metzler, regional chairman of the Junge Union in Baldauf's constituency, lauded his decision but admitted that Baldauf had surprised his inner-party critics and friends. A Weakened SPD and a Stumbling CDU -------------- ¶3. (SBU)The R-P CDU has nominated Kloeckner at a favorable time. Beck and his cabinet have been under pressure since former Minister of Finance, Ingolf Deubel, resigned over the financing disaster of the Nuerburgring amusement park (Reftel). On September 3, the R-P State Parliament approved a CDU and FDP request to initiate a parliamentary investigation committee. CDU and FDP contacts told consulate representatives that the investigation committee will probably last through the end of 2010 and will therefore have a direct impact on the SPD's election campaign. In addition, Beck's project has produced negative headlines ever since its official opening in July 2009. Construction costs have doubled, the number of visitors has remained 60% below the anticipated 500,000 per year and several days after the opening, one of the major attractions, the giant rollercoaster, broke and injured seven persons. ¶4. (SBU)According to well placed ConGen sources, the R-P CDU wanted to use the investigation committee as a tool to humiliate Beck and his cabinet and will do anything to drag out the investigation well into the upcoming election campaign. However, instead of using the advantage of the Nuerburgring scandal, the R-P CDU has produced a scandal on its own. CDU member Michael Billen, whose daughter is a police officer and Peter Dincher, a police officer, illegally took information from a police database about the investigation of the Nuerburgring scandal, with the intention of possibly using it to increase political pressure on the ruling SPD party. While Dincher has resigned his seat, Billen refuses to do so. Billen's resistance to give up his mandate, has shed a negative light on Baldauf's assertiveness and has offered the SPD an opportunity to direct attention away from its own problems. FRANKFURT 00000548 002 OF 002 Shooting-Star versus Veteran -------------- ¶5. (SBU)A general consensus exists in the R-P CDU that Kloeckner is the best possible candidate for the 2011 election. She is the daughter of a R-P vintner, studied in R-P, and in 1995 was elected German wine queen (Weinkoenigin) for one year. Since joining the Bundestag in 2002, however, she has spent most of her political life in Berlin and is therefore not tainted by local scandals which presently occupy SPD and CDU alike. At the age of 37, she is a fresh, new face in local R-P politics -- whereas Beck, who will be turning 61, is the longest serving Minister President in Germany (since 1994). Some of Kloeckner's greatest assets are her down-to earth personality, her strong roots to the state and her outgoing character. Beck's popular slogan over the last 16 years "close to the people" could also apply to her. Like Beck, she comes from a small town (Bad Kreuznach) and enjoys tremendous popularity since her time as German wine queen. ¶6. (SBU)COMMENT: With the unanimous decision of the R-P executive board to nominate Kloeckner, the CDU is sending a strong competitor into the state 2011 race. For Beck and his ruling SPD, Kloeckner is the most challenging candidate. She will be difficult for Beck to attack and could signal a new political era in R-P. She will be someone to watch closely regarding her national political future as well. END COMMENT. Bio Note -------------- ¶7. (U)Born in Bad Kreuznach in 1972, Kloeckner grew up as the daughter of a R-P vintner. She studied political science, education and Catholic theology. In 1995, she was elected German wine queen (Weinkoenigin) for one year. After several years as a journalist, she became the editor-in-chief of the "Sommerlier" Magazine in 2001 -- a position that she holds today. She became involved in politics in 1997 when she joined the R-P Junge Union and was first elected into the Bundestag in 2002. In 2006, she was elected deputy state chair for the R-P CDU. Three years later, in 2009, she became state secretary at the Federal Ministry for Nutrition, Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Kloeckner is also a member of the Central Council of German Catholics. ALFORD