Kubicki secured his position with a narrow 60 to 40 vote against Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who represents a significant faction within the party. His dismissive remarks regarding her supporters, stating he would not seek to win them over, reflect a potential rift. Despite his rejection of collaboration with the far-right AfD, Kubicki’s stance on maintaining a ‘firewall’ against them remains ambiguous, raising questions about his ability to reconcile differing party ideologies.