Senior German conservative Roettgen says he wants to be CDU leader

Senior German conservative lawmaker Norbert Roettgen has put himself forward as a surprise contender to take over as leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), he confirmed to Reuters on Tuesday. Roettgen, head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee and a former environment minister, confirmed a report in regional newspaper Rheinische Post, which said he had written to outgoing CDU leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer to express his interest.

Focus Online had originally picked up the report in the Rheinische Post.