Factbox: Bavarian Soeder ready to run for German chancellor, if CDU supports him

FILE PHOTO: Bavarian State Premier Markus Soeder wears a protective mask as he arrives for a cabinet meeting in Munich, Germany, March 30, 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic. Peter Kneffel/Pool via REUTERS

BERLIN (Reuters) - The leader of Bavaria's Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Soeder, said on Sunday that he is willing to run as the conservative bloc's candidate for German chancellor in a September election, according to senior conservative lawmakers.

Germany's conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and their Bavarian sister party, the CSU, are expected to name their chancellor candidate soon.