Merkel legacy in balance as party risks election defeatGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives may crash out of government altogether after her 16 years in powerBERLIN - German Chancellor Angela Merkel may be lauded abroad for her cool crisis management -- at home, her legacy risks being tarnished by a botched succession with her party projected to return its worst post-war score in Sunday's election. "Everyone knows: if Laschet loses, then Merkel's legacy too is lost," said the conservative Welt daily. "Only if (he) wins.. will it be possible for the CDU to reconcile itself with 16 years of government under Merkel." Left with few good options, the conservatives finally plumped for Laschet, their current unpopular CDU chief and Merkel's would-be successor. "There would be an earthquake, a brutal scrum for the chairman role of the parliamentary group," predicted newspaper group RND, adding that the CSU would heap blame on the larger CDU party.

Source: Bangkok Post September 26, 2021 02:48 UTC