He wants to be chancellor. This evident ambition alarms the governing coalition of Social Democrats and Greens, especially at a time when Mr. Haider's success has illustrated the appeal of a nationalist right. Mr. Stoiber's domestic position has been considerably strengthened by the crisis of the Christian Democrats and by the abrupt resignation on Wednesday of their leader, Wolfgang Schauble, who had been tainted by accepting illegal party financing. Combining a go-ahead approach to new technologies with a conservative social message that is highly cautious about immigration, Mr. Stoiber has stretched his appeal from young Bavarian professionals to the state's reactionary traditionalists. He was much in evidence today, doling out advice as to how to choose a successor to Mr. Schauble.
Quality is more important than speed right now.
And he must above all be able to integrate the liberal center and the conservative side of the party. He is known to be fiercely opposed to Angela Merkel, the progressive general secretary of the Christian Democrats and a favorite to succeeed Mr. Schauble. In general the Christian Social Union has been in the background, behind its much larger, more centrist partner, the Christian Democrats. He lost to Helmut Schmidt. Clearly, Mr. Stoiber has his mind on this precedent at a time when his partners have never been so weak.