North Rhine-Westphalia's State Premier and new leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Armin Laschet smiles as he sits on stage on the second day of the party's 33rd congress held online because of the coronavirus pandemic, in Berlin on January 16, 2021. - Moderate Armin Laschet was elected as the new head of Germany's conservative CDU party in a vote that endorses the continuation of veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel's centrist politics. The close Merkel ally, 59, was elected in a digital conference with 521 votes in a run-off against Merkel rival Friedrich Merz, who fetched 466 votes. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / various sources / AFP)