Governor of Bavaria favoured to be centre-right candidate in Germany’s election

The chairman of the German Christian Democratic Party (CDU), Armin Laschet, left, and the chairman of the German Christian Social Union (CSU), Markus Soeder, right (Michael Kappeler/AP)

New polls bolstered Bavarian Governor Markus Soeder’s bid to be the candidate of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right bloc in autumn elections, showing a wide margin of popular support for him over Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Mr Laschet is the leader of Mrs Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, and has rallied the party’s leadership behind his bid to run as chancellor.