Germany's opposition Christian Democrats sought to close a damaging chapter in their history yesterday by electing a new parliamentary leader unscathed by a finance scandal linked to the former chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl.
The CDU picked Mr Friedrich Merz (44), a tax expert from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, as leader of the party in parliament. He will replace Mr Wolfgang Schauble, who was party chairman and parliamentary leader but resigned both posts amid criticism of his inability to contain the Kohl affair.
Mr Merz, a no-nonsense lawyer and gifted speaker, won 217 of the 226 votes cast by CDU deputies in the Reichstag to become parliamentary leader of a party that has ruled Germany for all but 13 of the past 50 years.
A separate race for party chairman, a position that normally ensures the incumbent the post of chancellor should the CDU win a general election, will not be officially decided until March 20th.
The CDU is hoping the arrival of new faces such as Mr Merz, a towering figure standing 1.98 metres (6 6") tall, will bring a degree of stability to the party.
Dr Kohl admitted late last year that he accepted $1 million in illegal campaign donations. Dr Kohl, chancellor for 16 years, has further damaged the party, and his own reputation as a European statesman, by refusing to co-operate with requests from parliament to comply with the law.
Dr Kohl, who has largely disappeared from public life, said he gave the donors his "word of honour" he would not reveal their identities. The CDU has also hurt electorally. It was crushed in an election on Sunday in Schleswig-Holstein.