Merkel Dealt Unprecedented Blow by Rebels as Caucus Chief Ousted
- German chancellor’s candidate in Bundestag defeated in vote
- Latest sign of Merkel’s authority questioned in fourth term
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German Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a shot across the bow from her party’s lawmakers after they unexpectedly rejected her choice of caucus leader in a major challenge to her authority.
The first contested vote since 1973 for her Christian Democratic-led bloc’s leader in parliament turned into a lightning rod for dissatisfaction with Merkel’s policies and leadership style. Just two days earlier, she had halted a coalition clash that put her parliamentary majority at risk for the second time in three months.