Friedrich Merz

Turkey congratulates new German ruling party head

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Jan. 30 congratulated the new leader of Germany's ruling party.

In a phone call, Erdoğan said he believed Armin Laschet, head of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), will continue Germany's positive relations with Turkey, according to a statement from Turkey's Communications Directorate.

Greece awaits Merkel’s successor at helm of CDU

With three candidates vying on Friday and Saturday to take over the leadership of the Christian Democratic Party (CDU) and succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor, Greece is weighing who could best serve its interest - Armin Laschet, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Norbert Rottgen, chairman of the Bundestag's foreign affairs committee, and Friedrich Merz, a corporate lawyer and former MP.

Who will succeed Angela Merkel?

There are five candidates in the race, points out Austrian daily "Standard".
The paper reminds that the CDU assembly had to be postponed twice because of the coronavirus, and it is now scheduled for January 16, when a new party leader should be elected, and the meeting with 1.001 delegates will be digital.

Angela Merkel Decision's is Firm - She Will Not Stand for Re-Election

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday (Jun 4) she is "absolutely not" planning to stand for re-election to a fifth term despite her overwhelming popularity.

"No, absolutely not," Merkel told reporters from public broadcaster ZDF, saying her decision was "very firm".

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer Elected as Merkel's Successor

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, a close ally of Angela Merkel, won a tight race to succeed her as party leader Friday, seeing off a longtime rival of the German chancellor, reports AFP. 

The contest, which required a runoff vote to secure a 52-percent majority for AKK as she is known, is expected to increase the likelihood that Merkel will be able to see out her fourth term until 2021.

Germany is About to Find Out Who's Likely to Replace Merkel as Leader

Germany's largest and dominant political party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is holding a crucial vote to elect a new leader this coming weekend after Chancellor Angela Merkel said she would not run for the post and effectively started to wind down her political career, writes CNBC.