Angela Merkel has been a pillar of stability for Germany and the western world for the better part of two decades, but the party that kept her in charge of Europe¡¯s biggest economy is grappling with the power vacuum she¡¯s leaving behind.
A botched succession plan two years ago has put the Christian Democratic Union in a bind. Instead of a smooth transfer of power, the traditional anchor of German politics faces a messy free-for-all to defend its hold on the chancellery.
A two-day convention that starts Friday to elect a new leader can go two ways: kick-start a process of renewal or usher in a period of stagnation and decline. While the party leader usually goes on to be candidate for chancellor for Germany¡¯s conservative bloc, that step isn¡¯t automatic this time.
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