Almost a year after Angela Merkel anointed Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer her chosen heir, the race to succeed her as German chancellor is wide open again.

Weakened by a series of disastrous election results, the woman once known as “mini-Merkel” is limping towards the end of her first year in charge of the Christian Democrats (CDU).

After the party was beaten into third place by the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) in regional polls in Thuringia last month, many in the CDU are questioning whether they can afford to let Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer run as their candidate for chancellor.

The next general election is not due until 2021, but Mrs Merkel’s coalition is fragile and she could be…

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