Ms Merkel moved to consolidate her grip on Germany’s centre-right after the Union narrowly lost a national election in 2002. She pushed Mr Merz aside as leader of its parliamentary group, taking the job herself in addition to the leadership of the Christian Democratic Union party she already held.

Centre-right opposition leader Friedrich Merz’s conservative bloc emerged as the frontrunner in Germany’s national election on Sunday, though without a decisive victory, according to exit polls by ARD and ZDF public television.