Dundorf

[TheNick]

Former Chancellor Matthias Werner Announces Candidacy for President
March 5715

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Former Chancellor Matthias Werner in his Dunburg apartment alongside the family cat, Titus.

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Dunburg - Former Federal Chancellor Matthias Werner (DSDP), has announced his candidacy for Federal President in the upcoming May elections, which will determine the successor of current President Hans Meyer (NDZP), term limited per the Constitution. Mr. Werner, who left politics in 5706 after serving sixteen years as Chancellor, has said he "feels ready to pursue a new journey, this time representing all voices of Dundorf as their Federal President, always committed to values of social justice and fairness for all". He joins a field alongside former Finance Minister, Dr. Theodore Engel, who will be the Pirate candidate once again and former Foreign Affairs Minister Gunther Kranke who will be the joint candidate of the TLD and NDZP. No word yet from the KBP, who is undecided whether to jump in the joint center-right ticket.

Franziska Niedermeyer, recently appointed as Interior Minister and a long-time leader of the Green Party, has announced via a social media post that her party would not field a candidate and instead support Mr. Werner's bid in the first round: "When I worked alongside Matthias, I could see up close how much he works hard for Dundorf and its people. He has strong values, which we at the Green Party share fully. I'm so honored to support my friend Matthias Werner for President!". No comment was received from the DRF, but they are expected to field their own candidate in the first round and then eventually support Mr. Werner in the second round, should he advance to it. Also the democratic-socialist DRF announced that they would support the DSDP candidate from the first round, creating for the first time a united center-left ticket for the Presidency, which is set to become the first big political test for Chancellor Renate Reinhardt's new cabinet coalition.

If elected, the Presidency would be once again held by the DSDP, which detains the record for most Federal President, dating back to Federal President Nicholas Bauer in the 5220s. He would also become the first gay President, a similar achievement that he already obtained as Chancellor. Now, in order to make things official, he needs signatures from 5% of registered voters in every state or the backing of at least 32 Bundestag members. Unofficial sources say all DSDP MPs and Green MPs are ready to sign off on his candidacy, clearing him the way to make it on the ballot.