Angela Merkel's party elects a new leader | World

After 18 years at the head of the party and 13 years as German Chancellor, Merkel resigned at the end of October from her post as head of the CDU after the negative results of the party in regional elections in Bavaria and Hesse.

Kramp-Karrenbauer, 56, is the general secretary of the party and is considered the "Merkel bis", since she defends the same center-right line as the Chancellor. She won with just over 51% of the vote.

AKK ran against millionaire Friedrich Merz, who proposes to turn right from the CDU and the country, and Health Minister, Jens Spahn, very critical of Merkel. AKK receives greetings from Chancellor Angela Merkel after her election as head of the CDU in Germany Friday (Photo: Fabian Bimmer / Reuters "title =" AKK receives greetings from Chancellor Angela Merkel after her election to the presidency of the CDU on Friday ( 7) Germany – photo Fabian Bimmer / Reuters data "src =": image / jpeg; base64, / 9j / 4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD / 2wBDAAMCAgMCAgMDAwMEAwMEBQgFBQQEBQoHBwYIDAoMDAsKCwsNDhIQDQ4RDgsLEBYQERMUFRUVDA8XGBYUGBIUFRT / 2wBDAQMEBAUEBQkFBQkUDQsNFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBQUFBT / wgARCAARABkDASIAAhEBAxEB / 8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQGCAX / xAAXAQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwQF / 9oADAMBAAIQAxAAAAHvrMzgmrZZT7taNHyIStzk4GrB / 8QAIBAAAQMEAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAABAIFBgABAxQQEhM0Nf / aAAgBAQABBQJ3QRdojoGcQQ07Bt + TFUjUocJ1durQopKralSj0458cXj / xAAcEQABAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIDEBEiMTL / 2gAIAQMBAT8BGiE6YvtjSTpf / 8QAGxEAAQQDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECA0EEMkL / 2gAIAQIBAT8BsTHa3osi0Q // xAApEAACAAQEAw kAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADESEEEhMiBRBBMjRyc5GSobLB / 9oACAEBAAY / + AsWcMzy5 TZ0vDJOxM2eSa53JoPWNReICuuoBz1UL1Fo7wPeIlstjqRilZ9rytrJcisAWsKUUR2 / KRH / N / I4p4G h5 + // xAAhEAACAQMDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABEQAhQVEQMfBhccHR8f / aAAgBAQABPyGhMJizHPaV08QbrAsCTqYmFCRChFMsXM5f5gOmA0W6EyhWMAW7Vj2YAjFZT7GylwevT3s0 / 9oADAMBAAIAAwAAABCdgB7 / xAAcEQACAgIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARFBITFhcdH / 2gAIAQMBAT8QdYil26j00woSXfJRsP / EABoRAQEAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAERABBR4fD / 2gAIAQIBAT8QSlvusspVV52n / 8QAIBABAQACAQQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAREAITEQUWGxcaHwwf / aAAgBAQABPxApRSAYTVQRMfJ5xvjGoykrQOIVo84wedGCNCaOiCytpkvQH8gmP4ofphDS1msPdSgpwdjTSyGEypZy21fQZ K + / Z // ufVdGf6en "/> [19659005] <img clbad = "image content-media__image" itemprop = "contentUrl" alt = "AKK receive greetings chancellor Angela AKK welcomes Chancellor Angela Merkel after her election as head of the CDU Friday (7) in Germany (Photo: Fabian Bimmer / Reuters" title = "Germany – Photo: Fabian Bimmer / Reuters" data-src = "https://s2.glbimg.com/pXbSjKlp-O oKYH0paRbk3hsks4k = / 0x0: 2868×1918 / 1008×0 / smart / filters: strip_icc () / i.s3.glbimg.com / v1 / AUTH_59edd4 AKK receives the greetings of Chancellor Angela Merkel after being elected new head of the CDU Friday (7) in Germany [1] [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Political scientist Eckhard Jesse of the University of Chemnitz told the AFP news agency before the election of AKK that the election on Friday could be of historical significance for the country, since "Whoever conquers the presidency of the most important party in Germany will become Chancellor in the long term".

Jesse even thinks that Merkel's ability to complete her term "is virtually ruled out because the SPD will not remain in the coalition government until this year." The SPD is part of Merkel's governing coalition and this year it took five months to conclude the coalition agreement.

The main objective of AKK should be to recover the former voters of the CDU, who now prefer the far right.

The electoral prospects of the German AfD, the third largest political force in the German parliament after the great result obtained last September, were reinforced by the fear of immigration sparked by Merkel's policy, which has agreed to open the country's borders. and to receive more than one million Syrians and Iraqis between 2015 and 2016.

Kramp-Karrenbauer is committed to repatriating refugees convicted of any crime, including Syrians.

Merkel: 'Difficult moments & # 39;

In her farewell speech to CDU leaders, Merkel defended "Christian and democratic" values ​​in the face of changing populist and nationalist tendencies around the world. President of the CDU.

"In these difficult times, we must not forget our Christian and democratic values," Merkel said. "I feel like I've been president for 18 years," Merkel said at the opening of the congress on Thursday.