Leader of Merkel’s party seeks backing in bid to become German chancellor

Armin Laschet and Markus Soeder (dpa/AP)

The new leader of German chancellor Angela Merkel’s party has said he is confident of securing his colleagues’ support to become the centre-right candidate for the country’s leadership, after a rival also declared his ambitions.

The Union bloc aims to decide quickly on its candidate after months of shadow-boxing between Armin Laschet, the head of Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), and Markus Soeder, who leads its smaller Bavaria-only sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU).