Merkel Ally Battles Far-Right Surge in Sunday Vote in Saxony
- Armin Laschet could face damaging loss in Saxony-Anhalt
- CDU chief is dogged by a lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy
Photographer: Ronny Hartmann/AFP/Getty Images
This article is for subscribers only.
When Armin Laschet’s motorcade arrived at a campaign stop in eastern Germany last week, there was no crowd of supporters to greet him. Just one elderly woman with her walker.
She said she’d postponed a massage appointment to see the front-runner to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor and asked him for an autograph. With no one else to distract him, Laschet politely gave her three.