Merkel’s party readies campaign to keep Germany’s top office

BERLIN (AP) — Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party has presented a campaign for Germany’s September election that portrays would-be successor Armin Laschet as a conciliatory, experienced leader. The Christian Democratic Union’s general secretary said Tuesday that the party’s campaign to hold onto Germany’s top public office after Merkel’s 16-year tenure will take account of the continuing coronavirus pandemic and feature online components instead of large indoor rallies. The center-right Union bloc, which the CDU dominates, last month released a platform that pledges to boost the German economy without raising taxes and to make the country “climate-neutral” while preserving industrial jobs. The party’s new poster campaign features Laschet with the slogan “Together for a modern Germany.”