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Armin Laschet, the governor of Germany’s most populous state, emerged victorious Tuesday from a bruising power struggle and became the candidate of Angela Merkel’s centre-right bloc to succeed the long-time chancellor in the country’s September election.
Laschet, 60, now faces another big battle: to connect with voters and win over frustrated fellow conservatives who backed his more popular rival, Markus Soeder.
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Armin Laschet wins battle to lead Angela Merkel s bloc in German election
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Armin Laschet wins battle to lead Angela Merkel s bloc in German election
AP / Updated: Apr 20, 2021, 16:09 IST
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Laschet is the governor of the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia. AP Photo
BERLIN: Armin Laschet, the governor of Germany s most populous state, on Tuesday won a bruising power struggle to become the candidate of Chancellor Angela Merkel s center-right bloc for chancellor in the September election. Laschet, 60, now faces another big battle: to connect with voters and win over frustrated fellow conservatives who backed his more popular rival, Markus Soeder.
BERLIN (AP) Armin Laschet, the governor of Germany’s most populous state, emerged victorious Tuesday from a bruising power struggle and became the candidate of Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc to succeed the longtime chancellor in the country’s September election.
Laschet, 60, now faces another big battle: to connect with voters and win over frustrated fellow conservatives who backed his more popular rival, Markus Soeder.
Their Union bloc was the last major political force to nominate a candidate for chancellor in the Sept. 26 parliamentary election. Merkel isn’t seeking a fifth term after nearly 16 years in power.
The race turned into a heated duel after both Laschet, the leader of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, and Soeder, who leads its smaller Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union, declared their interest in succeeding Merkel.
Laschet Gains Edge in Fight to Succeed Merkel as Chancellor Bloomberg 3 hrs ago Arne Delfs
(Bloomberg) Armin Laschet gained the upper hand in the battle to succeed Angela Merkel at the head of conservatives’ ticket this September after winning a clear majority in a vote among his party’s leadership, putting pressure on his rival to step aside.
Laschet, the head of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, won the backing of 31 out of 46 members of his party’s top committee or 67% in a ballot early Tuesday morning to determine who should lead the center-right bloc into the national election. His rival for the top job, Bavarian State Premier Markus Soeder, won just nine votes, while six abstained.