Germany: Merkel's party in crisis as heir apparent quits German Chancellor Angela Merkel's heir apparent has unexpectedly threw in the towel, plunging her conservative party into deeper crisisBERLIN -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel's heir apparent unexpectedly threw in the towel Monday, plunging her conservative party into an even deeper crisis as it struggles to agree on its future political direction after losing votes to the far right. Regional party lawmakers there voted with the far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, to oust the left-wing incumbent, defying appeals from Kramp-Karrenbauer and further undermining her leadership. But leading figures in Merkel's party expressed concerns about fallout from the announcement. The Social Democrats are struggling with only about 14% support, about the same as the far-right Alternative for Germany. The far-right party has successfully wielded populist tactics, emphasizing national self-interest and immigration controls while tolerating anti-Semitism and historical revisionism among its members.

Source: ABC News February 10, 2020 09:05 UTC