Berlin, Jan. 16, (dpa/GNA) – Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) have opened an online meeting aimed at taking the first step towards selecting the German chancellor’s successor.
The 1,001 delegates attending the CDU’s first-ever digital convention are to select a new party chief from three candidates: Armin Laschet, who is premier of Germany’s most populous state of North Rhine Westphalia, wealthy corporate lawyer Friedrich Merz and foreign policy expert Norbert Roettgen.
Each candidate has 15 minutes to introduce themselves to the delegates, which include ministers, party functionaries and elected officials.
A runoff vote is to be held if no-one candidate emerges as the outright winner in the first round of voting.
GNA