The Christian Democrats Union of Germany will vote on Friday to determine their new leader and successor to Angela Merkel as chancellor.
Merkel had announced in October that she would step down from her position as the party's leader, but continued to remain the chancellor. The German premier had faced major setbacks since her decision to open up borders to take in war refugees from Syria and other Middle Eastern countries.
Merkel's successor, who is likely to lead the party in election due in 2021, will be chosen by 1,001 delegates at a party congress in Hamburg.
The frontrunners include CDU Secretary General Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, considered a protege of Merkel, and Friedrich Merz, Merkel's rival. According to a survey by Germany's Infratest dimap institute showed that 47 per cent members of CDU preferred Kramp-Karrenbauer as opposed to 37 per cent who favoured Merz.
Allies of Merkel in the CDU have hailed Kramp-Karrenbauer as a dangerous, but ideal candidate to face the centre-left Social Democrat Party of Germany and Ecologist Greens. The former state premier in Saarland is in contrast with Merkel in certain aspects, including voting for quotas for women in corporate boards and taking a tough stand on Russia.
Merz, meanwhile, is making a comeback to politics after a decade and has the support of CDU members who no longer want Merkel on top, including veteran Wolfgang Schaeuble. Merz has made it clear that he wants tax cuts and is in favour of contributing more to the European Union.
The CDU has a tough decision ahead with members of the party maintaining that the vote could sway either and depends on how the candidates present themselves before the congress.
