Merkel’s making a mess of handing over the reins of power

German politics faces a potentially murky future if it doesn’t sort out the succession of its long-sitting chancellor, writes Leonid Bershidsky.

After the relatively weak performance of the ruling Christian Democratic Union in the European Parliament election on Sunday, the party’s leader, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, is in trouble. There is a fear in the party that Chancellor Angela Merkel has messed up her succession, and it has even been reported that Merkel herself doubts whether AKK, as she is known, is up to the job.