Overview
- Christian Dürr, who confirmed Sunday he will not run again, endorsed Wolfgang Kubicki to avoid a party split.
- Wolfgang Kubicki announced Saturday he will seek the chair at the end‑of‑May congress and said he wants a more confident, plain‑spoken party.
- Henning Höne remains in the race and has backing from Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, who argues the party should be led by a new generation.
- The federal executive will resign collectively at the congress, and delegates will choose the new chair and immediate recovery plan.
- The contest follows the FDP’s exit from the Bundestag in February 2025 and March losses in Baden‑Württemberg and Rhineland‑Palatinate, with low polls and funding risks before September state votes; Kubicki is reported to favor Martin Hagen as general secretary if he wins.