Merkel ally wins race to lead her party

BERLIN: Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative CDU party on Saturday picked her ally Armin Laschet as its next leader, in a vote that kicks off the race for Germany’s top job as a deadly pandemic roils Europe’s biggest economy.

In the close race, Laschet, the state premier of Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, triumphed over old Merkel nemesis Friedrich Merz, after a first round that saw Merz leading by just five votes.

A third hopeful, foreign affairs expert Norbert Roettgen, was knocked out of the race.

Merz had campaigned on a promise to shift away from Merkel’s centrist path and steer right, writing in a column for Der Spiegel that a "happy ‘carry on like this’ is just as inappropriate as the vague claim to occupy the centre at all times".

In contrast, Laschet pledged to continue with Merkel’s more moderate course.

In a speech minutes before the vote on Saturday, Laschet called for "continuity" and highlighted the challenge of retaining CDU voters without Merkel at the top.

"What we need is continuity of success," he said, in a direct rejection of Merz’s vision.

Merz, meanwhile, attempted to address his low levels of support among women in the party by highlighting his good relationship with his wife and daughter -- leading to some panning on social media.

"Sure, every heterosexual husband and father is virtually a women’s rights movement in their own right," one Twitter user wrote.

At the opening on Friday of the two-day congress which had been forced online by the pandemic, Merkel had signalled her opposition of Merz as she urged delegates to stay the centrist course.

"As a people’s party of the centre, we naturally seek solutions that balance out conflicts and always promote ... social cohesion," she said.

"This has always distinguished us as a governing party," added Merkel.

Giving a further hint of her choice, Merkel said she hoped that "a team will be elected that will take the fate of our proud party in its hands". While she did not name names, the call appeared to indicate support for Laschet, who has campaigned on a joint ticket with Health Minister Jens Spahn as his deputy.

Merkel had previously said that Laschet "has the tools" to be chancellor. Merkel, 66, elected as Germany’s youngest and first female chancellor in 2005, is planning to stand down after four terms and 16 years in the job following a general election in September.