Party is aware of tough fight in poll: Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday that her party is fighting and was always aware that it wouldn’t “automatically” hold on to Germany’s top job after her 16 years in power, downplaying alarming poll ratings.

Recent polls have shown Ms. Merkel’s Union bloc under would-be successor Armin Laschet in second place behind the centre-left Social Democrats, with very low support of around 20%. It is running short of time to turn things around before the September 26 parliamentary election.

Asked whether she was worried about her record being sullied by her party losing the chancellery, Ms. Merkel said, “We are in the middle of the election campaign and I can see that (it is) really fighting”. She added that what happens on election day counts, so she won’t speculate.

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