North Rhine-Westphalia's State Premier and new leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Armin Laschet gives a speech after his election on the second day of the party's 33rd congress held online because of the coronavirus pandemic, in Berlin on January 16, 2021. - Moderate Armin Laschet was elected as the new head of Germany's conservative CDU party in a vote that endorses the continuation of veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel's centrist politics. The close Merkel ally, 59, was elected in a digital conference with 521 votes in a run-off against Merkel rival Friedrich Merz, who fetched 466 votes. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / various sources / AFP)