German CDU Backs Armin Laschet to Run for Chancellor

Conservative Party Secures Leadership Race

Key Points

• Armin Laschet has won the backing of Angela Merkel's CDU to run as the center-right candidate for Chancellor.
• The CDU, led by Premier Boris Rhein, recently won state elections in Hesse.
• The move comes less than 100 days before German voters head to the polls.

The beleaguered Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is holding a conference to select its leader, who will run for Chancellor in the upcoming German election. Armin Laschet, a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, has emerged as the frontrunner with the backing of her party.

The CDU's leadership race has been closely watched, as the party seeks to regain momentum after a series of electoral setbacks. The party recently lost ground in state elections in Hesse, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) making significant gains. Laschet's victory is seen as a step towards unifying the CDU and preparing it for the federal election.