Merkel’s Heir Bolsters Bid for Chancellorship With State Win
- CDU takes the most votes in Saxony-Anhalt to beat the AfD
- Result gives Armin Laschet’s run for chancellor a major lift
Angela Merkel
Photographer: Annegret Hilse/AFP/Getty Images
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Armin Laschet boosted his chances of succeeding Angela Merkel as German chancellor by helping secure a decisive victory for his Christian Democratic Union in the country’s poorest state.
In the final regional contest before the national vote in September, the 60-year-old party leader showed he can successfully guide Merkel’s party in a tight campaign. The outcome will help ease doubts about his suitability to lead Germany’s conservatives and take on the job of running Europe’s biggest economy.