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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0223
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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