The Race to Succeed Angela Merkel Has a New Front Runner
- Bavaria’s state leader storms ahead of conservative rival
- Markus Soeder benefits from strict course in pandemic fight
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Germany’s efforts to contain the coronavirus pandemic have upended the race to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In the simmering contest to lead Europe’s largest economy, Bavarian Premier Markus Soeder has emerged as the uncrowned king of the crisis. His hard line to clamp down on the spread of the disease in the wealthy southern state has propelled him to the forefront of Germany’s conservative bloc.