German Chancellor Angela Merkel's favoured successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Wednesday presented herself as a moderate continuity candidate, refraining from criticism or bold new vision statements.

The 56-year-old usually dubbed "AKK" -- or "mini-Merkel" -- is running in December to take over as head of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) while Merkel hopes to serve out her government term as chancellor through to 2021.

While two other top candidates have criticised Merkel's liberal immigration policy of years past and vowed to return the CDU to its conservative roots, AKK has signalled she will stick with a centrist stance.

At a press conference in Berlin, the former state premier of tiny Saarland said that new leaders "stand on the shoulders of those who came before them".

She said "an era is ending and a new chapter is beginning" but was careful to refrain from signalling any bold policy changes.

A poll published on Monday showed more than 60 per cent of CDU members favours sticking to Merkel's centrist line.

Sounding much like the incumbent, AKK said her priorities were to maintain "prosperity and the good life", to safeguard public security, and to boost social inclusion so that all citizens can "feel at home".

She also refrained from challenging the other top candidates -- corporate lawyer Friedrich Merz and Health Minister Jens Spahn -- saying: "I am not campaigning but rather presenting an offer" and pledging to include them in her team if she wins.

The biggest change AKK, currently the CDU's general secretary, promised was to improve the internal dynamics of a party that has been mocked for its lack of debate and internal democracy under "Mutti" (Mummy) Merkel.

At the height of Merkel's power, when she regularly won support in the high 90 per cent range at party congresses, the CDU was sometimes mocked as "the association for the reelection of the chancellor".&nbsp;

Kramp-Karrenbauer promised that in future the CDU's big decisions would trickle up from the party base via its block of lawmakers and into the government, rather than the other way around.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's favoured successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Wednesday presented herself as a moderate continuity candidate, refraining from criticism or bold new vision statements.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's favoured successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Wednesday presented herself as a moderate continuity candidate, refraining from criticism or bold new vision statements. The 56-year-old usually dubbed "AKK" -- or "mini-Merkel" -- is running in December to take over as head of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) while Merkel hopes to serve out her government term as chancellor through to 2021. While two other top candidates have criticised Merkel's liberal immigration policy of years past and vowed to return the CDU to its conservative roots, AKK has signalled she will stick with a centrist stance. At a press conference in Berlin, the former state premier of tiny Saarland said that new leaders "stand on the shoulders of those who came before them". She said "an era is ending and a new chapter is beginning" but was careful to refrain from signalling any bold policy changes. A poll published on Monday showed more than 60 per cent of CDU members favours sticking to Merkel's centrist line. Sounding much like the incumbent, AKK said her priorities were to maintain "prosperity and the good life", to safeguard public security, and to boost social inclusion so that all citizens can "feel at home". She also refrained from challenging the other top candidates -- corporate lawyer Friedrich Merz and Health Minister Jens Spahn -- saying: "I am not campaigning but rather presenting an offer" and pledging to include them in her team if she wins. The biggest change AKK, currently the CDU's general secretary, promised was to improve the internal dynamics of a party that has been mocked for its lack of debate and internal democracy under "Mutti" (Mummy) Merkel. At the height of Merkel's power, when she regularly won support in the high 90 per cent range at party congresses, the CDU was sometimes mocked as "the association for the reelection of the chancellor". Kramp-Karrenbauer promised that in future the CDU's big decisions would trickle up from the party base via its block of lawmakers and into the government, rather than the other way around.

Favoured Merkel successor vows to pursue chancellor's path

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out debt relief for Italy, saying in a newspaper interview published on Sunday that the principle of solidarity among euro zone member states should not turn the single currency bloc into a debt-sharing union.

In the interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung Merkel also embraced some of French President Emmanuel Macron's ideas for more solidarity in the euro zone and the broader European Union.

She said while cohesion among members of the single currency bloc was important, "solidarity among euro partners should never lead to a debt union, rather it must be about helping others to help themselves."

Merkel made the remarks when asked about a media report that Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and far-right League had planned to ask the European Central Bank to forgive 250 billion euros ($296 billion) of Italian debt.

An Italian governing coalition of two parties generally seen as hostile to the euro took power on Friday, calming markets that had been spooked by the possibility of a new election that might have effectively become a referendum on whether to leave the single currency.

"I will approach the new Italian government openly and work with it instead of speculating about its intentions," Merkel told the paper in an interview published on Sunday.

In her most detailed comments on Macron's vision, Merkel supported the idea of turning the euro zone's ESM rescue fund into a European Monetary Fund (EMF) with powers to give members hit by sovereign debt troubles short-term credit lines.

Macron wants a future EMF to act as a buffer in any future financial crises in the bloc, which was nearly torn apart in a debt crisis in 2009.

Merkel, who has faced criticism for not responding quickly and clearly to Macron's proposals made in September, said the bailout fund, know as the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), was not sufficient to shield the euro zone from crisis.

The EMF would complement other measures to strengthen the euro, including a banking and capital markets union, she said.

Germany has been demanding clarity on parameters for reducing risks in the banking sector before progress can be made toward completing a banking union through a deposit insurance scheme. Merkel did not say if her concerns had been addressed.

"If the whole euro zone is in danger, the EMF must be able to grant long-term credit in order to help countries," Merkel told the paper. "Such loans would be spread over 30 years and be conditioned on sweeping structural reforms."

She added: "In addition I can imagine the possibility of a credit line that is short-term, five years for example. As such, we would be able to take under our wing countries that get into difficulties because of extraordinary circumstances."

Her comments were welcomed by the Social Democrats (SPD), junior coalition partners of her conservative bloc in a right-left coalition that took power earlier this year after an election in September.

"This is very pleasing," SPD leader Andrea Nahles told the ARD public broadcaster. "Those are totally new notes from Mrs. Merkel."

The SPD have been critical of the conservatives' focus on austerity in the euro zone and had pressed Merkel to engage more actively with Macron on his reform proposals.

Merkel also said that a future EMF would be organised on an intergovernmental basis and national parliaments of member countries would have oversight.

Lawmakers from Merkel's conservative bloc have been cold to Macron's proposal, saying they are wary that his call for more solidarity could see German taxpayers' money used to fund profligate member states.

The chancellor also said she backed an investment budget for the euro zone, which would be in the low two-digit billions of euros that would be introduced step by step and evaluated over time to address structural weaknesses of member states.

In another nod to Macron, Merkel said she had a "positive view" of his joint European military intervention force. "In the future we will have to react to the challenges that we are faced with," she said.

Merkel on Saturday congratulated Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in a phone call on Saturday and invited him for talks in Berlin, her office said.

Conte, a little-known 53-year-old law professor, was sworn in on Friday, ending three months of political deadlock in the wake of inconclusive March 4 elections.

Merkel said she was willing to discuss with the new Italian government ways to boost employment rates among young people in Italy.

In her most detailed comments on Macron's vision, Merkel supported the idea of turning the euro zone's ESM rescue fund into a European Monetary Fund (EMF) with powers to give members hit by sovereign debt troubles short-term credit lines

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out debt relief for Italy, saying in a newspaper interview published on Sunday that the principle of solidarity among euro zone member states should not turn the single currency bloc into a debt-sharing union. In the interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung Merkel also embraced some of French President Emmanuel Macron's ideas for more solidarity in the euro zone and the broader European Union. She said while cohesion among members of the single currency bloc was important, "solidarity among euro partners should never lead to a debt union, rather it must be about helping others to help themselves." Merkel made the remarks when asked about a media report that Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and far-right League had planned to ask the European Central Bank to forgive 250 billion euros ($296 billion) of Italian debt. An Italian governing coalition of two parties generally seen as hostile to the euro took power on Friday, calming markets that had been spooked by the possibility of a new election that might have effectively become a referendum on whether to leave the single currency. "I will approach the new Italian government openly and work with it instead of speculating about its intentions," Merkel told the paper in an interview published on Sunday. In her most detailed comments on Macron's vision, Merkel supported the idea of turning the euro zone's ESM rescue fund into a European Monetary Fund (EMF) with powers to give members hit by sovereign debt troubles short-term credit lines. Macron wants a future EMF to act as a buffer in any future financial crises in the bloc, which was nearly torn apart in a debt crisis in 2009. Merkel, who has faced criticism for not responding quickly and clearly to Macron's proposals made in September, said the bailout fund, know as the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), was not sufficient to shield the euro zone from crisis. The EMF would complement other measures to strengthen the euro, including a banking and capital markets union, she said. Germany has been demanding clarity on parameters for reducing risks in the banking sector before progress can be made toward completing a banking union through a deposit insurance scheme. Merkel did not say if her concerns had been addressed. "If the whole euro zone is in danger, the EMF must be able to grant long-term credit in order to help countries," Merkel told the paper. "Such loans would be spread over 30 years and be conditioned on sweeping structural reforms." She added: "In addition I can imagine the possibility of a credit line that is short-term, five years for example. As such, we would be able to take under our wing countries that get into difficulties because of extraordinary circumstances." Her comments were welcomed by the Social Democrats (SPD), junior coalition partners of her conservative bloc in a right-left coalition that took power earlier this year after an election in September. "This is very pleasing," SPD leader Andrea Nahles told the ARD public broadcaster. "Those are totally new notes from Mrs. Merkel." The SPD have been critical of the conservatives' focus on austerity in the euro zone and had pressed Merkel to engage more actively with Macron on his reform proposals. Merkel also said that a future EMF would be organised on an intergovernmental basis and national parliaments of member countries would have oversight. Lawmakers from Merkel's conservative bloc have been cold to Macron's proposal, saying they are wary that his call for more solidarity could see German taxpayers' money used to fund profligate member states. The chancellor also said she backed an investment budget for the euro zone, which would be in the low two-digit billions of euros that would be introduced step by step and evaluated over time to address structural weaknesses of member states. In another nod to Macron, Merkel said she had a "positive view" of his joint European military intervention force. "In the future we will have to react to the challenges that we are faced with," she said. Merkel on Saturday congratulated Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte in a phone call on Saturday and invited him for talks in Berlin, her office said. Conte, a little-known 53-year-old law professor, was sworn in on Friday, ending three months of political deadlock in the wake of inconclusive March 4 elections. Merkel said she was willing to discuss with the new Italian government ways to boost employment rates among young people in Italy.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel rules out debt relief for Italy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, bruised by half a year of post-election coalition haggling, was Wednesday narrowly confirmed by parliament to her fourth and likely final term at the helm of Europe&#39;s biggest economy.

Lawmakers in Berlin&#39;s glass-domed Reichstag voted 364-315 with nine abstentions for Merkel, who was then formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before taking the oath of office.

The outcome of the secret ballot suggested 35 lawmakers of her new right-left coalition bloc voted against Merkel, giving her a thin nine-vote margin that opposition parties were quick to label a &quot;rocky start&quot; for a spent and joyless governing alliance.

Merkel, wearing a necklace in the national colours black-red-gold, nevertheless beamed with joy and relief as applause filled the Bundestag chamber, where her scientist husband Joachim Sauer and her 89-year-old mother Herlind Kasner were among the well-wishers.

For the veteran leader, the ceremony marked the end of a painful stretch of post-election paralysis, the deepest crisis of her 12-year career.

A right-wing populist rise in September elections weakened all mainstream parties and deprived Merkel of a majority, forcing her into another unhappy alliance with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).

The grand coalition, mockingly dubbed a &quot;GroKo&quot; in German, didn&#39;t start as a &quot;love marriage&quot;, her designated vice chancellor and finance minister, the SPD&#39;s Olaf Scholz, drily observed this week.

All coalition partners have nonetheless sought to allay fears that their marriage of convenience could break up mid-term, insisting they plan to jointly govern until 2021.

Trip to Paris 
From 1600 GMT, Merkel sits down with her new cabinet, in which the SPD has wrested both the trophy posts of finance and foreign affairs to the dismay of a growing band of critics within her Christian Democratic Union (CDU).&nbsp;

To quieten the dissent, Merkel has named a sometimes outspoken critic, Jens Spahn, 37, as her new health minister and recently tapped a potential successor, new CDU general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

&quot;The chancellor was, from time to time, written off in the past six months,&quot; Marianne Kneuer of Hildesheim University told Phoenix TV.

&quot;Many in the party started thinking about the future after Angela Merkel... but at the same time Merkel has strengthened her position again.&quot;

On Friday Merkel will head to Paris to discuss EU reform plans with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a March 22-23 summit, after a lengthy stretch in which Berlin was hamstrung on the European and world stage.

Macron warned in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily that, without Germany on board, &quot;part of my project would be doomed to failure&quot;.

&quot;We are completely dependent on each other. I do not believe for one second that a European project without or against Germany could succeed.&quot;

Merkel&#39;s incoming coalition has broadly welcomed Macron&#39;s bold reform plans, meant to reinvigorate the bloc and counter extremists and populists who have made major gains in Western democracies.

She has argued that the EU must increasingly look after its own interests in the era of US President Donald Trump, who has questioned long-standing transatlantic defence ties and threatened a trade war.

Berlin advocates closer EU cooperation on defence, immigration and plans for a European Monetary Fund. But it is lukewarm on the idea of a joint eurozone finance minister and rejects any pooling of debt.

&#39;Zero tolerance&#39; 
The rise of populist fringe parties is also the central domestic threat for Merkel&#39;s new coalition, which faces the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the biggest opposition party.

The AfD scored almost 13 percent in the election, capitalising on public fears over a mass influx of more than one million refugees and migrants since 2015 and angrily demanding that &quot;Merkel must go&quot;.

The shock rise of the AfD has come at the expense of the CDU, its Bavarian CSU allies and especially the SPD, all of which suffered their worst results in decades in September.

While Merkel&#39;s last GroKo had a crushing 80 percent parliamentary majority, the margin has shrunk to 56 percent.

To answer the new right-wing threat, designated interior minister Horst Seehofer has pledged a &quot;zero tolerance&quot; law-and-order drive and faster deportations of failed asylum-seekers.

His new interior super-ministry also covers &quot;Heimat&quot; or homeland affairs, a term much derided for evoking Alpine vistas, beer and bratwurst but intended to recapture claims to patriotism from the AfD.

Scholz has meanwhile promised to tackle another fear exploited by populists, of vanishing jobs in the age of globalisation and rapid technological change.

&quot;When we look at the Trump election, Brexit and the success of right-wing populist parties in many European countries,&quot; Scholz said, &quot;we see there is a clear need to find new answers to the challenges of the 21st century.&quot;

Lawmakers in Berlin's glass-domed Reichstag voted 364-315 with nine abstentions for Merkel, who was then formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before taking the oath of office

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, bruised by half a year of post-election coalition haggling, was Wednesday narrowly confirmed by parliament to her fourth and likely final term at the helm of Europe's biggest economy. Lawmakers in Berlin's glass-domed Reichstag voted 364-315 with nine abstentions for Merkel, who was then formally appointed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier before taking the oath of office. The outcome of the secret ballot suggested 35 lawmakers of her new right-left coalition bloc voted against Merkel, giving her a thin nine-vote margin that opposition parties were quick to label a "rocky start" for a spent and joyless governing alliance. Merkel, wearing a necklace in the national colours black-red-gold, nevertheless beamed with joy and relief as applause filled the Bundestag chamber, where her scientist husband Joachim Sauer and her 89-year-old mother Herlind Kasner were among the well-wishers. For the veteran leader, the ceremony marked the end of a painful stretch of post-election paralysis, the deepest crisis of her 12-year career. A right-wing populist rise in September elections weakened all mainstream parties and deprived Merkel of a majority, forcing her into another unhappy alliance with the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD). The grand coalition, mockingly dubbed a "GroKo" in German, didn't start as a "love marriage", her designated vice chancellor and finance minister, the SPD's Olaf Scholz, drily observed this week. All coalition partners have nonetheless sought to allay fears that their marriage of convenience could break up mid-term, insisting they plan to jointly govern until 2021. Trip to Paris From 1600 GMT, Merkel sits down with her new cabinet, in which the SPD has wrested both the trophy posts of finance and foreign affairs to the dismay of a growing band of critics within her Christian Democratic Union (CDU). To quieten the dissent, Merkel has named a sometimes outspoken critic, Jens Spahn, 37, as her new health minister and recently tapped a potential successor, new CDU general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. "The chancellor was, from time to time, written off in the past six months," Marianne Kneuer of Hildesheim University told Phoenix TV. "Many in the party started thinking about the future after Angela Merkel... but at the same time Merkel has strengthened her position again." On Friday Merkel will head to Paris to discuss EU reform plans with French President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a March 22-23 summit, after a lengthy stretch in which Berlin was hamstrung on the European and world stage. Macron warned in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily that, without Germany on board, "part of my project would be doomed to failure". "We are completely dependent on each other. I do not believe for one second that a European project without or against Germany could succeed." Merkel's incoming coalition has broadly welcomed Macron's bold reform plans, meant to reinvigorate the bloc and counter extremists and populists who have made major gains in Western democracies. She has argued that the EU must increasingly look after its own interests in the era of US President Donald Trump, who has questioned long-standing transatlantic defence ties and threatened a trade war. Berlin advocates closer EU cooperation on defence, immigration and plans for a European Monetary Fund. But it is lukewarm on the idea of a joint eurozone finance minister and rejects any pooling of debt. 'Zero tolerance' The rise of populist fringe parties is also the central domestic threat for Merkel's new coalition, which faces the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) as the biggest opposition party. The AfD scored almost 13 percent in the election, capitalising on public fears over a mass influx of more than one million refugees and migrants since 2015 and angrily demanding that "Merkel must go". The shock rise of the AfD has come at the expense of the CDU, its Bavarian CSU allies and especially the SPD, all of which suffered their worst results in decades in September. While Merkel's last GroKo had a crushing 80 percent parliamentary majority, the margin has shrunk to 56 percent. To answer the new right-wing threat, designated interior minister Horst Seehofer has pledged a "zero tolerance" law-and-order drive and faster deportations of failed asylum-seekers. His new interior super-ministry also covers "Heimat" or homeland affairs, a term much derided for evoking Alpine vistas, beer and bratwurst but intended to recapture claims to patriotism from the AfD. Scholz has meanwhile promised to tackle another fear exploited by populists, of vanishing jobs in the age of globalisation and rapid technological change. "When we look at the Trump election, Brexit and the success of right-wing populist parties in many European countries," Scholz said, "we see there is a clear need to find new answers to the challenges of the 21st century."

Merkel narrowly elected to fourth term as German chancellor

Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to cruise to victory in elections Sunday but also to face the breakthrough into parliament of hard-right populists for the first time in Germany&#39;s post-war history.

Voting begins at 0600 GMT in Europe&#39;s biggest economy and exit polls are announced at 1600 GMT, with few expecting surprises given Merkel&#39;s double-digit poll lead.

For months, the woman now dubbed the &quot;eternal chancellor&quot; has been the favourite over her centre-left rival Martin Schulz and looked set to win another term and match the 16-year reign of her mentor Helmut Kohl.

To many in the West, a fourth Merkel victory will come as a relief in a turbulent world, with hopes she will serve as a calm-headed counterweight to US President Donald Trump and Russia&#39;s Vladimir Putin and as the key EU ally to reformist French President Emmanuel Macron.

But the election is also expected to mark a milestone for the four-year-old Alternative for Germany (AfD) which, like right-wing populists elsewhere, rails against migrants, Muslims and mainstream parties.

It has been polling at 11-13 percent and could become Germany&#39;s third strongest party, driven by anger over the influx of one million migrants and refugees, many from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, since 2015.

&quot;The AfD&#39;s entry into the Bundestag marks an epochal step forward for the far right,&quot; said Joerg Forbrig of think-tank the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

By entering parliament, he said, &quot;the xenophobic, revisionist and anti-European political force&quot; will have heightened visibility and access to campaign finance, dozens of offices and hundreds of staff.

After a &quot;vicious&quot; campaign, in which the AfD demanded an end to German guilt over two world wars, Forbig warned that &quot;German democracy is about to face its biggest stress test ever&quot;.

At Merkel&#39;s final major stump speech Friday in the southern city of Munich, right-wing activists tried to drown her out with whistles and vuvuzelas and chants of &quot;get lost&quot;.

But the 63-year-old refused to be derailed from her stability-and-prosperity mantra, telling the crowd that &quot;the future of Germany will definitely not be built with whistles and hollers&quot;.

Schulz, for his part, recalled with pride the SPD&#39;s history of resisting the Nazi regime and told a Berlin rally that &quot;this Alternative for Germany is no alternative. They are a shame for our nation.&quot;

Aside from the populist noise, the past two months of campaigning have been widely criticised as lacklustre, with few hot-button issues dividing the main contenders.

The more outspoken Schulz, former president of the European Parliament, has told voters to reject Merkel&#39;s &quot;sleeping-pill politics&quot; and vote against &quot;another four years of stagnation and lethargy&quot;.

In greying Germany, more than half of the 61 million voters are aged 52 or older, and especially Merkel&#39;s conservatives have pitched a low-key and reassuring message of stability and prosperity.

On Saturday, Merkel -- who has signalled she was running again mainly out of a sense of duty -- urged her supporters to cast their ballots with a folksy call to &quot;bring home the bacon&quot;.

For the past term, Merkel&#39;s CDU has ruled with the SPD as its junior partner in a &quot;grand coalition&quot;, marked by broad agreement on major topics, from foreign policy to migration.

Governing in Merkel&#39;s shadow has cost the SPD voter support, and polls give it 21-22 percent compared to 34-36 percent for Merkel&#39;s conservative bloc, which also includes the Bavarian CSU.

Looking at the surveys, many rank-and-file SPD members believe the traditional working class party would benefit from a stint in opposition to rekindle its fighting spirit.

This would leave the presumed winner Merkel in need of new coalition partners -- possibly the liberal and pro-business Free Democrats, who are hoping for a comeback after crashing out of parliament four years ago.

Another potential partner would be the ecologist and left-leaning Greens party, which, however, starkly differs with the FDP on issues from climate change to migration policy.

For months, she is dubbed as the "eternal chancellor" and has been a favourite over her centre-left rival Martin Schulz

Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to cruise to victory in elections Sunday but also to face the breakthrough into parliament of hard-right populists for the first time in Germany's post-war history. Voting begins at 0600 GMT in Europe's biggest economy and exit polls are announced at 1600 GMT, with few expecting surprises given Merkel's double-digit poll lead. For months, the woman now dubbed the "eternal chancellor" has been the favourite over her centre-left rival Martin Schulz and looked set to win another term and match the 16-year reign of her mentor Helmut Kohl. To many in the West, a fourth Merkel victory will come as a relief in a turbulent world, with hopes she will serve as a calm-headed counterweight to US President Donald Trump and Russia's Vladimir Putin and as the key EU ally to reformist French President Emmanuel Macron. But the election is also expected to mark a milestone for the four-year-old Alternative for Germany (AfD) which, like right-wing populists elsewhere, rails against migrants, Muslims and mainstream parties. It has been polling at 11-13 percent and could become Germany's third strongest party, driven by anger over the influx of one million migrants and refugees, many from war-torn Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, since 2015. "The AfD's entry into the Bundestag marks an epochal step forward for the far right," said Joerg Forbrig of think-tank the German Marshall Fund of the United States. By entering parliament, he said, "the xenophobic, revisionist and anti-European political force" will have heightened visibility and access to campaign finance, dozens of offices and hundreds of staff. After a "vicious" campaign, in which the AfD demanded an end to German guilt over two world wars, Forbig warned that "German democracy is about to face its biggest stress test ever". At Merkel's final major stump speech Friday in the southern city of Munich, right-wing activists tried to drown her out with whistles and vuvuzelas and chants of "get lost". But the 63-year-old refused to be derailed from her stability-and-prosperity mantra, telling the crowd that "the future of Germany will definitely not be built with whistles and hollers". Schulz, for his part, recalled with pride the SPD's history of resisting the Nazi regime and told a Berlin rally that "this Alternative for Germany is no alternative. They are a shame for our nation." Aside from the populist noise, the past two months of campaigning have been widely criticised as lacklustre, with few hot-button issues dividing the main contenders. The more outspoken Schulz, former president of the European Parliament, has told voters to reject Merkel's "sleeping-pill politics" and vote against "another four years of stagnation and lethargy". In greying Germany, more than half of the 61 million voters are aged 52 or older, and especially Merkel's conservatives have pitched a low-key and reassuring message of stability and prosperity. On Saturday, Merkel -- who has signalled she was running again mainly out of a sense of duty -- urged her supporters to cast their ballots with a folksy call to "bring home the bacon". For the past term, Merkel's CDU has ruled with the SPD as its junior partner in a "grand coalition", marked by broad agreement on major topics, from foreign policy to migration. Governing in Merkel's shadow has cost the SPD voter support, and polls give it 21-22 percent compared to 34-36 percent for Merkel's conservative bloc, which also includes the Bavarian CSU. Looking at the surveys, many rank-and-file SPD members believe the traditional working class party would benefit from a stint in opposition to rekindle its fighting spirit. This would leave the presumed winner Merkel in need of new coalition partners -- possibly the liberal and pro-business Free Democrats, who are hoping for a comeback after crashing out of parliament four years ago. Another potential partner would be the ecologist and left-leaning Greens party, which, however, starkly differs with the FDP on issues from climate change to migration policy.

Merkel heads for German poll win, hard-right AfD for first seats

German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has decided to run against Chancellor Angela Merkel in general elections expected this September, Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday citing sources from Social Democrats.

Senior party sources told Reuters last week, that there is no realistic alternative to Gabriel, currently serving as vice chancellor and economy minister in Merkel&#39;s right-left coalition government. Gabriel, 57, also leads the Social Democratic Party (SPD).

Merkel, 62, announced her candidature for a fourth term in November last year.

An official announcement is not expected until January 29.

&quot;The SPD will decide on its candidate for chancellor on Jan. 29,&quot; a spokesman for Gabriel said, Reuters reported.

The paper said that former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had encouraged Gabriel to stand and clearly state that he wanted the top job.

Some party members had hoped that the former president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz would step up for the role.

Bild said Gabriel&#39;s likely run meant that Schulz would replace Steinmeier as Berlin&#39;s top diplomat.

The SPD executive board denied in a tweet that a decision had been taken.

&quot;We are pleased about the media interest in the SPD! But it is just speculation about the chancellor issue. The fact remains: we will decide on January 29,&quot; it said.

Although Merkel had received criticism for her liberal immigration policy, polls show the Christian Democrats (CDU) leads with around 37 per cent support, followed at a distance by the SPD with about 20 per cent. An insurgent anti-immigration party, the AfD, is currently polling at around 15 per cent, AFP reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

An official announcement is not expected until January 29 but Bild newspaper reports that Sigmar Gabriel has decided to run

German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel has decided to run against Chancellor Angela Merkel in general elections expected this September, Bild newspaper reported on Tuesday citing sources from Social Democrats. Senior party sources told Reuters last week, that there is no realistic alternative to Gabriel, currently serving as vice chancellor and economy minister in Merkel's right-left coalition government. Gabriel, 57, also leads the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Merkel, 62, announced her candidature for a fourth term in November last year. An official announcement is not expected until January 29. "The SPD will decide on its candidate for chancellor on Jan. 29," a spokesman for Gabriel said, Reuters reported. The paper said that former chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had encouraged Gabriel to stand and clearly state that he wanted the top job. Some party members had hoped that the former president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz would step up for the role. Bild said Gabriel's likely run meant that Schulz would replace Steinmeier as Berlin's top diplomat. The SPD executive board denied in a tweet that a decision had been taken. "We are pleased about the media interest in the SPD! But it is just speculation about the chancellor issue. The fact remains: we will decide on January 29," it said. Although Merkel had received criticism for her liberal immigration policy, polls show the Christian Democrats (CDU) leads with around 37 per cent support, followed at a distance by the SPD with about 20 per cent. An insurgent anti-immigration party, the AfD, is currently polling at around 15 per cent, AFP reported. (With inputs from agencies)

German economy minister Gabriel to run against Merkel: Reports

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to announce her bid for a&nbsp;fourth term in next year elections at a surprise news conference announced by her conservative party on Friday.

Merkel, 62, will address reporters at 1800 GMT Sunday after a meeting of leaders of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, news agency AFP reported.

German media and senior conservatives have speculated for weeks that Merkel will declare her candidacy ahead of her party&#39;s annual congress starting December 6.

Her candidature will be welcome after the instability from Brexit and Donald Trump&#39;s win in US elections. Polls show that a Merkel re-election bid has a strong chance of succeeding, AFP reported.&nbsp;Merkel is widely considered Europe&#39;s most powerful leader.

Merkel has said that she will announce her bid for the&nbsp;general election expected in Sept or Oct 2017 &quot;at the appropriate time&quot;.

She repeated the line with a smile at a joint news conference with outgoing US President Barack Obama in Berlin Thursday, AFP said.

Obama praised her as an &quot;outstanding partner&quot; and said he &quot;might&quot; have supported her if he was German and had a vote.

&quot;It&#39;s up to her whether she wants to stand again... but if I were here and I were German and I had a vote, I might support her,&quot; he said.

Despite her popularity, Merkel has been criticised for her decision of letting more than one million asylum seekers in Germany over the last two years. However, observers hold Merkel as the defender of Western values, some even calling her the new &quot;leader of the free world&quot;, as Barack Obama prepares to hand over White House to president-elect Trump.

Right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has gained more popularity due to Germans&#39; anxiety about migration and Merkel&#39;s policies.

A poll released Friday showed that Merkel`s conservatives would draw 32 per cent of the vote if the election were held this weekend, AFP reported.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Considered Europe's most powerful leader, Merkel's re-election bid will be welcome news after the instability from Brexit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to announce her bid for a fourth term in next year elections at a surprise news conference announced by her conservative party on Friday. Merkel, 62, will address reporters at 1800 GMT Sunday after a meeting of leaders of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, news agency AFP reported. German media and senior conservatives have speculated for weeks that Merkel will declare her candidacy ahead of her party's annual congress starting December 6. Her candidature will be welcome after the instability from Brexit and Donald Trump's win in US elections. Polls show that a Merkel re-election bid has a strong chance of succeeding, AFP reported. Merkel is widely considered Europe's most powerful leader. Merkel has said that she will announce her bid for the general election expected in Sept or Oct 2017 "at the appropriate time". She repeated the line with a smile at a joint news conference with outgoing US President Barack Obama in Berlin Thursday, AFP said. Obama praised her as an "outstanding partner" and said he "might" have supported her if he was German and had a vote. "It's up to her whether she wants to stand again... but if I were here and I were German and I had a vote, I might support her," he said. Despite her popularity, Merkel has been criticised for her decision of letting more than one million asylum seekers in Germany over the last two years. However, observers hold Merkel as the defender of Western values, some even calling her the new "leader of the free world", as Barack Obama prepares to hand over White House to president-elect Trump. Right-wing Alternative for Germany party (AfD) has gained more popularity due to Germans' anxiety about migration and Merkel's policies. A poll released Friday showed that Merkel`s conservatives would draw 32 per cent of the vote if the election were held this weekend, AFP reported. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Merkel could announce bid for fourth term this week: Conservative party

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will announce her decision to seek a fourth term in due time, her spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The comment came in response to a lawmaker in Merkel&#39;s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Norbert Roettgen, told CNN&nbsp;she &quot;will run for chancellor&quot;.

Merkel&#39;s spokesperson, Steffen Seibert told Reuters &quot;She will address this question at the suitable time, as has been said many times in the past.&quot;

Merkel&#39;s allies expect her to contest despite drawing criticism over her open-door migrant policy.&nbsp;

The Alternative for Germany Party is becoming increasingly popular with their anti-migrants policy and are expected to make it in to Parliament in 2017.&nbsp;

Merkel&#39;s CDU is approximately 10 percentage points ahead of its rivals as per polls.&nbsp;

 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert said 'she will address this question at the suitable time'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will announce her decision to seek a fourth term in due time, her spokesman confirmed on Tuesday. The comment came in response to a lawmaker in Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Norbert Roettgen, told CNN she "will run for chancellor". Merkel's spokesperson, Steffen Seibert told Reuters "She will address this question at the suitable time, as has been said many times in the past." Merkel's allies expect her to contest despite drawing criticism over her open-door migrant policy. The Alternative for Germany Party is becoming increasingly popular with their anti-migrants policy and are expected to make it in to Parliament in 2017. Merkel's CDU is approximately 10 percentage points ahead of its rivals as per polls. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Merkel may seek fourth term

The German government denied it was preparing a rescue plan for Deutsche Bank as Germany&#39;s biggest lender faces a $12 billion fine from the US Department of Justice.

The bank boosted its balance sheet by selling its British insurance business Abbey Life to Phoenix in a $1.2 billion deal on Wednesday.

Although the sale will result in a pre-tax loss of 800 million euros ($895 mln), mainly from writedowns for Deutsche Bank, it will lift the German lender&#39;s capital ratio by 10 basis points.

The move pushed its shares to a record low on Tuesday and heightened concerns about the health of the financial sector in Europe&#39;s largest economy.

A local daily had reported that a rescue plan was being drafted in case Deutsche was unable to raise capital to pay for costly litigation.

But the German finance ministry dismissed the reports that the government would even offer to take a direct stake of 25 percent in an extreme emergency.

&quot;This report is wrong. The German government is not preparing any rescue plan, there is no reason to speculate on such plans,&quot; the finance ministry said in a statement.

The government was still hoping Deutsche would not need state support and only scenarios for a potential rescue were being discussed so far, the newspaper added.

A Deutsche Bank spokesman referred to an interview chief executive John Cryan gave German daily Bild on Wednesday and denied the report.

&quot;At no point did I ask the chancellor for support. Neither did I suggest anything like that,&quot; the Briton told Bild in response to a report that said he had asked Angela Merkel for her backing with a $14 billion US demand to settle claims it missold mortgage-backed securities.

On Tuesday, Andreas Dombret, the Bundesbank board member in charge of supervision said that support for Europe&#39;s oversized banking sector must stop, comparing banks to dinosaurs facing a threat of extinction.

&quot;Political support for the banking sector must finally come to an end - something that unfortunately I&#39;ve only seen to a limited extent,&quot; he had said.

Analysts at Goldman Sachs on Wednesday estimated that the US mortgages case will cost Deutsche Bank $2.8-8.1 billion. Other analysts have said that any price tag above $5 billion will likely necessitate a capital increase.

Its overall legal provisions stood at 5.5 billion euros at the end of June. However, three other large legal headaches also remain, alleged manipulation of foreign exchange rates, an investigation into suspicious equities trades in Russia and allegations of money laundering.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The lender's litany of legal troubles have spurred worries it may need to raise capital to staunch the damage

The German government denied it was preparing a rescue plan for Deutsche Bank as Germany's biggest lender faces a $12 billion fine from the US Department of Justice. The bank boosted its balance sheet by selling its British insurance business Abbey Life to Phoenix in a $1.2 billion deal on Wednesday. Although the sale will result in a pre-tax loss of 800 million euros ($895 mln), mainly from writedowns for Deutsche Bank, it will lift the German lender's capital ratio by 10 basis points. The move pushed its shares to a record low on Tuesday and heightened concerns about the health of the financial sector in Europe's largest economy. A local daily had reported that a rescue plan was being drafted in case Deutsche was unable to raise capital to pay for costly litigation. But the German finance ministry dismissed the reports that the government would even offer to take a direct stake of 25 percent in an extreme emergency. "This report is wrong. The German government is not preparing any rescue plan, there is no reason to speculate on such plans," the finance ministry said in a statement. The government was still hoping Deutsche would not need state support and only scenarios for a potential rescue were being discussed so far, the newspaper added. A Deutsche Bank spokesman referred to an interview chief executive John Cryan gave German daily Bild on Wednesday and denied the report. "At no point did I ask the chancellor for support. Neither did I suggest anything like that," the Briton told Bild in response to a report that said he had asked Angela Merkel for her backing with a $14 billion US demand to settle claims it missold mortgage-backed securities. On Tuesday, Andreas Dombret, the Bundesbank board member in charge of supervision said that support for Europe's oversized banking sector must stop, comparing banks to dinosaurs facing a threat of extinction. "Political support for the banking sector must finally come to an end - something that unfortunately I've only seen to a limited extent," he had said. Analysts at Goldman Sachs on Wednesday estimated that the US mortgages case will cost Deutsche Bank $2.8-8.1 billion. Other analysts have said that any price tag above $5 billion will likely necessitate a capital increase. Its overall legal provisions stood at 5.5 billion euros at the end of June. However, three other large legal headaches also remain, alleged manipulation of foreign exchange rates, an investigation into suspicious equities trades in Russia and allegations of money laundering. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Germany denies 'emergency plan' to rescue Deutsche Bank

German Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats are bracing for a second loss as Berlin city votes&nbsp;on Sunday. 
 
Voters are expected to express their unease about Merkel&#39;s open-door migrant policy in&nbsp;today&#39;s vote. 
 
Merkel&#39;s decision to open Germany&#39;s borders to refugees a year ago has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.&nbsp;AfD has played on voters&#39; fear of the migrants, winning nine of Germany&#39;s 16 states. There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. 
 
AfD&#39;s Berlin candidate Georg Pazderski told Reuters: &quot;I favour educating these people (immigrants) but not integrating them. We must prepare them for going back.&quot; 
 
Polls point to heavy losses for Merkel&#39;s Christian Democrats (CDU) in the vote which means the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) may be able to ditch them from their current coalition, Reuters reported. 
 
With only a year left until the next federal election, Merkel&#39;s refugee-friendly policy has dented her popularity. 
 
Merkel has defended her policy, appealing to Berlin&#39;s openness.&nbsp;&quot;Berlin, its whole history, the success of what was West Berlin, its openness has served it well and must be preserved,&quot; Rueters quoted her as saying. 
 
Merkel&#39;s conservative allies in Bavaria have called on her to toughen up the migrant policy with measures such as capping the number of refugees to 200,000 per year. 
 
The recent election reversals have even raised questions about whether Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year. 
 
An INSA poll this week put the CDU to win 18 per cent of votes in Berlin, down by more than five points from the 2011 vote and only four points ahead of the AfD. 
 
Carsten Koschmieder, political scientist at Berlin&#39;s Free University, predicted further damaging splits between the CDU and CSU if voters reject conservatives in Berlin. 
 
&quot;Critics of Merkel will get louder while her supporters in the CDU will blame (CSU leader) Horst Seehofer for using destructive rhetoric,&quot; he told Reuters. 
 
Voting in the German capital started at 8 am (0600 GMT) and some 2.5 million people are eligible to decide who should represent them in the Berlin city assembly. 
 
Polling stations will close at 6 pm (1600 GMT) and public broadcasters will publish exit polls shortly afterwards. First projections are expected roughly half an hour later. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Polls point to heavy defeat for Merkel's Christian Democrats which means the Social Democrats may be able to ditch them from their coalition

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats are bracing for a second loss as Berlin city votes on Sunday. Voters are expected to express their unease about Merkel's open-door migrant policy in today's vote. Merkel's decision to open Germany's borders to refugees a year ago has boosted support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. AfD has played on voters' fear of the migrants, winning nine of Germany's 16 states. There have been concerns about the cost of letting the migrants in and their integration. AfD's Berlin candidate Georg Pazderski told Reuters: "I favour educating these people (immigrants) but not integrating them. We must prepare them for going back." Polls point to heavy losses for Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) in the vote which means the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) may be able to ditch them from their current coalition, Reuters reported. With only a year left until the next federal election, Merkel's refugee-friendly policy has dented her popularity. Merkel has defended her policy, appealing to Berlin's openness. "Berlin, its whole history, the success of what was West Berlin, its openness has served it well and must be preserved," Rueters quoted her as saying. Merkel's conservative allies in Bavaria have called on her to toughen up the migrant policy with measures such as capping the number of refugees to 200,000 per year. The recent election reversals have even raised questions about whether Merkel will stand for a fourth term next year. An INSA poll this week put the CDU to win 18 per cent of votes in Berlin, down by more than five points from the 2011 vote and only four points ahead of the AfD. Carsten Koschmieder, political scientist at Berlin's Free University, predicted further damaging splits between the CDU and CSU if voters reject conservatives in Berlin. "Critics of Merkel will get louder while her supporters in the CDU will blame (CSU leader) Horst Seehofer for using destructive rhetoric," he told Reuters. Voting in the German capital started at 8 am (0600 GMT) and some 2.5 million people are eligible to decide who should represent them in the Berlin city assembly. Polling stations will close at 6 pm (1600 GMT) and public broadcasters will publish exit polls shortly afterwards. First projections are expected roughly half an hour later. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Angela Merkel braces for Berlin vote loss over pro-migrant policies

Public support for Angela Merkel has plummeted, mainly over the chancellor&#39;s refugee policy in the wake of a series of attacks in Germany, according to a poll published Thursday. 
 
Forty-seven per cent of the 1,000 people who took part in the poll by the ARD TV station said they were satisfied with Merkel&#39;s work, 12 points down from her July rating. 
 
It was Merkel&#39;s second worst poll score since she was re-elected in 2013. In February 2016, 46 per cent of respondents gave favourable opinions. 
 
In this latest poll, just 34 per cent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the government&#39;s welcoming policy towards refugees. 
 
It was the lowest result on the issue since it began to be included in the monthly poll in October. 
 
Some 65 per cent said they were dissatisfied with the policy. 
 
Horst Seehofer, conservative premier of Bavaria, and a staunch critic of the government&#39;s refugee policy despite being one of Merkel&#39;s allies, saw his popularity rating soar 11 points to 44 per cent. 
 
Germany&#39;s first attacks claimed by the Islamic State group took place in July. Three of the assailants were seeking asylum in Germany. 
 
A few days after the two attacks, Merkel continued to defend her migration policy, repeating the &quot;We can do it&quot; slogan she first used in the summer of 2015. That year Germany welcomed more than a million migrants. 
 
Merkel is expected to run for a fourth term in general elections due in just over a year. 
 
In September, regional elections will be held on her home turf of Western Mecklenburg-Pomerania, where her party is trailing in the polls. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Poll numbers show the chancellor's migration policy led to a 12-point drop in her July rating

Public support for Angela Merkel has plummeted, mainly over the chancellor's refugee policy in the wake of a series of attacks in Germany, according to a poll published Thursday. Forty-seven per cent of the 1,000 people who took part in the poll by the ARD TV station said they were satisfied with Merkel's work, 12 points down from her July rating. It was Merkel's second worst poll score since she was re-elected in 2013. In February 2016, 46 per cent of respondents gave favourable opinions. In this latest poll, just 34 per cent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the government's welcoming policy towards refugees. It was the lowest result on the issue since it began to be included in the monthly poll in October. Some 65 per cent said they were dissatisfied with the policy. Horst Seehofer, conservative premier of Bavaria, and a staunch critic of the government's refugee policy despite being one of Merkel's allies, saw his popularity rating soar 11 points to 44 per cent. Germany's first attacks claimed by the Islamic State group took place in July. Three of the assailants were seeking asylum in Germany. A few days after the two attacks, Merkel continued to defend her migration policy, repeating the "We can do it" slogan she first used in the summer of 2015. That year Germany welcomed more than a million migrants. Merkel is expected to run for a fourth term in general elections due in just over a year. In September, regional elections will be held on her home turf of Western Mecklenburg-Pomerania, where her party is trailing in the polls. (AFP)

Merkel's popularity plunges in wake of attacks

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