Rivals vying to succeed Angela Merkel square off in Germany

In Germany, a two-man contest is shaping up to succeed Angela Merkel as Chancellor. Bavaria’s Markus Söder has thrown his hat in the ring – saying he is ready to be the conservative candidate in this autumn’s general election. That means the conservatives face a choice.
Armin Laschet had long been viewed as the favorite. He’s the leader of Merkel’s CDU party and the governor of Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. But some are urging him to step aside in favour of Söder. He’s chief of the CDU’s conservative sister party in the state of Bavaria, and his national profile has grown during the pandemic.
The two candidates spoke at a press conference earlier