<span style="color: #222222;">In Germany, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has been elected leader of   Christian Democratic Union (CDU) during party congress in Hamburg succeeding Angela Merkel. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">56 years old Kramp-Karrenbauer is Merkel's protege and was the continuity candidate favoured by the party elite . </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">She won the leadership with 517 votes out of 999 votes cast by delegates. Her rival, Friedrich Merz, won 482 votes in a run-off.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">A former state premier in Saarland, where she led a three-way coalition, Kramp-Karrenbauer has a reputation for uniting support across the conservative CDU  and a talent for striking alliances with other parties. </span>