Berlin - Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) must become more open and democratic if they it is to return to power, according to Dr Angela Merkel, who looks certain to take over the party leadership next month, Denis Staunton writes from Berlin. Speaking a day after she won the unanimous backing of the party leadership, Dr Merkel signalled a dramatic break with the patrician leadership of the Kohl era by calling for a freer spirit of debate within the CDU.
"There are some debates that you can let run a bit before you intervene. At other times, you must show leadership right away. The skill is in getting the balance right," she said.
Dr Merkel is likely to be unopposed for the leadership at a CDU conference in Essen early next month.
