German Chancellor Angela Merkel applauds Armin Laschet, top candidate of their conservative Chrisitan Democratic Union (CDU) party for regional elections in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, during a press conference at the headquarters of the CDU in Berlin on May 15, 2017, one day after the election. Merkel's party secured a decisive win in a crucial state election, in a devastating blow to her main rival four months before a national vote. / AFP PHOTO / TOBIAS SCHWARZ