Page 8 - aruba-today-20181208

A8 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 8 december 2018
Merkel ally becomes German conservative party's leader

By GEIR MOULSON er since 2000 and chan-
KERSTIN SOPKE cellor since 2005. She has
Associated Press moved her party relentless-
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) ly to the center, dropping
— Angela Merkel's center- military conscription, ac-
right party elected an ally celerating Germany's exit
of the longtime German from nuclear energy and
chancellor as its new lead- introducing benefits such
er on Friday, opting for con- as encouraging fathers to
tinuity and experience as it look after their young chil-
handed her the challenge dren. She also allowed the
of opening a new chapter introduction of gay mar-
and improving the party's riage, which Kramp-Karren-
electoral fortunes. bauer was more vehement
Annegret Kramp-Karren- in opposing.
bauer, 56, narrowly defeat- Most controversially, Merkel
ed one-time Merkel rival allowed in large numbers
Friedrich Merz to become of migrants in 2015. Kramp-
the Christian Democratic Karrenbauer has talked
Union's new chairwoman. tough on immigration is-
The vote came hours after sues in recent weeks, but
the party feted Merkel with warned that endlessly re-
a lengthy standing ova- CDU general secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer delivers her speech when running as chair- hashing the debate about
woman at the party convention of the Christian Democratic Party CDU in Hamburg, Germany,
tion as she wrapped up 18 Friday, Dec. 7, 2018. Merkel's 2015 decision on
years at the helm. Associated Press migrants is a turn-off for vot-
Merkel has said she plans ers
to remain chancellor until while Kramp-Karrenbauer 'a copy,' 'simply carrying on she said she "learned that In her farewell speech as
Germany's next election, — often known as "AKK" the same way,'" she said. leadership is more about leader, the 64-year-old
which is due in 2021 but — was closer to Merkel's "I stand here as I am and internal strength then exter- Merkel said Friday that "our
could come earlier. Kramp- centrist stance. Kramp-Kar- how life has formed me, nal volume." And she said CDU today is different from
Karrenbauer, the CDU renbauer said she wants to and I am proud of that." the CDU must attract vot- the year 2000, and that is a
general secretary since ensure that the CDU avoids She described herself as ers with its own ideas, not good thing."
February and previously a the fate of shrinking center- a mother of three "who by competing to see "who For years, Merkel's popu-
popular state governor, is right parties in France and knows herself how difficult attacks our political oppo- larity lifted the CDU and its
now the favorite to run for elsewhere. it is to reconcile family and nents the hardest." Bavaria-only sister party,
chancellor in that vote. "We're a bit like the last uni- professional life" and listed In his speech, Merz high- the Christian Social Union.
That isn't automatic, but all corn in Europe — the last her long experience in re- lighted the need to tackle In the 2013 election, they
but two of Kramp-Karren- big people's party that still gional government. the "intolerable" success of won 41.5 percent of the
bauer's seven predecessors exists," she told delegates Kramp-Karrenbauer was the far-right Alternative for vote and only just fell short
as CDU leader became before the vote. "I want the first woman to be a Germany party and called of an outright parliamen-
chancellor. that to be the case tomor- German state's interior min- for a more combative ap- tary majority.
She was quick to call for row too. This Europe, this ister, or top security official, proach toward the CDU's At present, the center-right
party unity after defeating Germany, this world needs and served as the governor rivals in the political center bloc is polling around or
Merz 517-482 on Friday, say- a strong CDU." of western Saarland state, ground. below 30 percent. Merkel's
ing "there is a place in this Kramp-Karrenbauer has defying expectations to Merz, who was the CDU's fourth-term governing
party" for Merz and Health shown a greater willing- win re-election by a wide parliamentary leader un- coalition with the center-
Minister Jens Spahn, who ness than Merkel to cater margin last year. In Febru- til he was pushed out of left Social Democrats has
was eliminated in a first to conservative rhetoric, ary, she gave up the gov- the job by Merkel in 2002, lurched through a series of
round of voting at a con- and on Friday rejected the ernor's job to become the had sought a spectacular crises since taking office in
gress in Hamburg. notion that she would be a CDU's general secretary, comeback in Friday's vote March, and the CDU has
Merz stood for a more con- Merkel clone. managing the party's day- after a decade away from lost supporters both to the
servative, business-friendly "I've read a lot about what to-day political strategy. front-line politics. liberal Greens and to Alter-
approach than Merkel, I am and who I am — 'mini,' In 18 years of experience, Merkel has been CDU lead- native for Germany.q

Groups say 13 climate activists deported from Poland

Associated Press ish police, calling them "ex- fice. Belgian diplomats to inter- meeting in Poland's south-
KATOWICE, Poland (AP) — tremely worrying." He said Vanrenterghem, vene were unsuccessful. ern city of Katowice brings
Environmental groups said It named one of those who spoke during a large A Polish border guards' together officials from al-
Friday that at least 13 ac- denied entry as Belgium- protest in Brussels last week- spokeswoman said she most 200 countries, cam-
tivists traveling to Poland based activist Zanna Van- end, was taken to a police had no information about paign groups, scientists and
to take part in the U.N. cli- renterghem. It said she station in the town of Biel- the matter. businesses to discuss efforts
mate summit have been had been traveling by train sko Biala, where she was Environmental group 350. to tackle global warming.
deported or denied entry when she was stopped by interrogated and then told org said the other activists Climate activists are plan-
by authorities. police at Poland's border she would be deported affected include six from ning to march through Ka-
The Climate Action Net- with the Czech Republic. on a train back to Vienna Ukraine, two each the Unit- towice on Saturday to press
work, an umbrella group of "It was said that she was a overnight. ed State and Germany, for more action from gov-
hundreds of organizations threat to Polish security," "She seems to have been and one each from Kyrgyz- ernments against climate
from around the world, said Wendel Trio, the direc- on a blacklist," said Trio, stan and Georgia. change.q
criticized the actions of Pol- tor of CAN's European of- adding that attempts by The two-week climate