Germany: Merkel’s party chooses conservative Merz as leader

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Members of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union, the party of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, have chosen prominent conservative Friedrich Merz as its new leader. Merz beat two centrist contenders while winning 62.1% support in a ballot of the party’s membership. A party congress next month will have to sign off officially on the vote, but that should only be a formality. Merz will replace Armin Laschet, who led the two-party Union bloc to its worst-ever election result in September. It was narrowly beaten by the center-left Social Democrats of new Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The CDU is now Germany’s biggest opposition party. Merz said Friday he wants it to be constructive and inclusive.