BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2021) Armin Laschet was elected as the leader of Germany's ruling party, beating Friedrich Merz in a runoff on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, the Christian Democrats' online congress failed to choose Angela Merkel's successor in the first round. In the first round, Laschet received 380 votes, followed by Friedrich Merz and Norbert Röttgen with 385 and 224 votes, respectively.
"Armin Laschet received 521 votes, Friedrich Merz got 466 votes. Thus, Armin Laschet has been elected, he received an absolute majority of votes," the CDU chairperson said, as broadcast by the N24 channel.
