BERLIN, Dec 6: Chancellor Angela Merkel has won a new two-year term as leader of Germany's main conservative party after stressing her determination to prevent a repeat of last year's huge migrant influx.
End of Merkel era begins as German CDU picks new party leader
Merkel ran unopposed Tuesday for the leadership of the Christian Democratic Union — the springboard for her run for a fourth term as chancellor in next year's German election. She won 89.5 percent of delegates' votes at a congress in the western city of Essen — solid though short of the 96.7 percent she won two years ago.
The vote came after a speech in which Merkel struck a decidedly conservative note, telling members that she wants to stem the influx of migrants, speed up deportations and ban face-covering veils where possible.