Seeking to refire his ailing campaign, the centre-right Union bloc's candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in this month's German election named eight experts Friday to advise him on how to tackle issues dear to voters, from climate change and education to security and family benefits.
Armin Laschet, who won the Union bloc's nomination after a series of fractious inner-party battles, has received particularly unfavorable reviews recently after a series of slips on the campaign trail in recent months.
Polls this week put the Social Democrats ahead -- helped by the relative popularity of their candidate, Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who is also vice chancellor in Merkel's coalition government.
Speaking at the Berlin headquarters of his Christian Democratic Union party, Laschet said he wants his new team to reflect the Christian-social, liberal and conservative wings of the party.
Several of the experts are familiar faces, including former rival Friedrich Merz, who was tapped to advise Laschet on finance and business matters.
Others, like extremism researcher Peter R. Neumann and music industry manager Joe Chialo, haven't previously figured prominently in the party.
Half of the team's members are women.
Germany's national election takes place on Sept. 26. Merkel, who led the Union to four election victories, said in 2018 that she would not seek another term.
A survey released by public broadcaster ARD showed the Union bloc receiving 20% of the vote compared to 25% support for the center-left Social Democrats and 16% for the environmentalist Greens. The poll of 1,337 eligible voters conducted Aug. 30-Sept. 1 had a margin of error of two to three percentage points.
Laschet sought with Friday's announcement to put pressure on Scholz, who has been largely responsible for the Social Democrats' recent recovery after a long poll slump. Scholz's party was notorious for infighting in recent years but has shown new discipline in recent months.
"Above all, I'm looking forward in the next days to seeing what other personalities the Social Democrats have to show, what the Social Democrats' future team looks like, if you give them your vote," Laschet said. "A lot of people are being hidden at the moment."
That was a reference to the Social Democrats' left-leaning party leaders, whom members chose over the pragmatic Scholz in 2019, and other figures on the party's left.
As its poll ratings have declined, the Union bloc has issued increasingly frequent warnings that Scholz would form a government with the hard-left opposition Left Party. Scholz has refused to rule out that option, but it also doesn't appear very likely.
Parties don't necessarily have to finish first in German elections to win the chancellery, since much depends on what coalitions they can form in the weeks and months afterward -- but it certainly helps. And a senior Laschet ally insisted that the Union must set its sights on regaining the lead.
"We absolutely must not be content with second place, because second place ultimately means opposition and first place means an option to govern," said Bavarian governor Markus Soeder, who battled Laschet for the Union's nomination to run for chancellor earlier this year and has often sounded impatient with the bloc's campaign.
Soeder dismissed the idea of it serving as a junior coalition partner in a future government.
"If the Union is not No. 1 and by some distance, then there will be a left-wing government -- whether it's a very left-wing one or a diluted left-wing coalition," he said.
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
The Canada Border Security Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
The Canada Border Security Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A Nanaimo, B.C., woman says she is serenading a killer whale calf with her violin, hoping to entice the orca to leave the remote lagoon where she has been trapped alone for almost four weeks.
The Alberta government will detail on Thursday measures it’s taking to ensure electricity is more affordable.
Nigerian soldiers rescued a woman who was abducted by extremists a decade ago while she was a schoolgirl in the village of Chibok, the army said Thursday. Her three children were also rescued.
U.S. President Joe Biden will accept endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop in Philadelphia on Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
A moderately-strong earthquake struck central Turkiye on Thursday, the country's disaster management agency said. It was not immediately clear if it caused any casualties or damage.
Reuters photographer Mohammed Salem captured this year's prestigious World Press Photo of the Year award Thursday with a depiction of loss and sorrow in Gaza, a heartrending photo of a Palestinian woman cradling the body of her young niece.
The state Department of Corrections and the University of Alabama at Birmingham face disturbing allegations from the families of five inmates whose organs were removed and reportedly kept without consent, according to a series of lawsuits.
One of the most prominent figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany party went on trial Thursday on charges of using a Nazi slogan, months before a regional election in which he is running to become his state's governor.
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is a 'fraud' for portraying himself as a friend of the working class, the head of the country's largest labour organization said Thursday, urging unions to do everything they can to expose him before the next federal election.
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
The Ottawa Hospital is hoping artificial intelligence will help reduce physician burnout and increase access to care for patients.
Progress has been made on a new compensation model for family doctors, with the Alberta Medical Association (AMA) hopeful for a fall rollout.
A Winnipeg man is raising a red flag after his landlord said no to health-care equipment that could change his life – a problem he believes is a human rights issue.
An ancient giant snake in India might have been longer than a school bus and weighed a tonne, researchers reported Thursday.
New archeological investigations in Guatemala reveal that the ancient Maya people had a ritual of burning royal human remains as a public display of political regime change.
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archeological site in southwest France.
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
A Google Drive link allegedly containing 17 tracks that are purportedly from Swift's eagerly awaited "The Tortured Poets Department" album has been making the rounds on the internet in the past day and people are equal parts mad, sad and happy about it.
Congratulations are in order for singer Ashanti and rapper Nelly. The reunited couple have gone public with both a pregnancy and their engagement.
Solving a longstanding construction worker shortage will be key to boosting housing supply, experts say, as Canada's national housing agency continues to forecast housing start levels that fall short of growing demand.
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.
Google has fired 28 employees involved in protests over the tech company's cloud computing contract with the Israeli government, according to statements from the company and campaigners.
Ten beagles rescued from animal testing in the United States arrived in Alberta on Wednesday, thanks to a Canadian charity.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
The NFL draft will be offensive. We’re not talking about hurt feelings. This draft has the potential to set a record for most offensive players selected in the first round.
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
Calls for action against Israel in international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas will be stepped up by Palestinian officials at the annual FIFA congress next month.
Tesla will ask shareholders to reinstate a US$55 billion compensation package for CEO Elon Musk that was rejected by a judge in Delaware this year and to move the electric car maker's corporate home from Delaware to Texas.
Tesla has hit a series of roadblocks, including increased competition and declining sales. The company announced Monday it is slashing 10 per cent of its global workforce.
A driver from London will have to find alternative transportation after an OPP officer clocked them travelling nearly 200 km/h on Highway 401 over the weekend.
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
A Nanaimo, B.C., woman says she is serenading a killer whale calf with her violin, hoping to entice the orca to leave the remote lagoon where she has been trapped alone for almost four weeks.
The design for a new memorial in Kamloops, B.C., has been released, nearly four years after a deadly Canadian Forces Snowbird plane crash.
Around 100 members of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers plan to hold a protest in Abbotsford, B.C., today.
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Gas prices jumped an average of 14 cents per litre overnight in the GTA, climbing to levels not seen in nearly two years as the switch from winter fuel to a more expensive summer blend pushes up the price at the pumps.
Bets on World Boxing Association events are now prohibited in Ontario after an investigation turned up evidence of ‘suspicious’ wager activity on a match held late last year.
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
Two people are in hospital and police are investigating a fight between a man and a woman in Forest Lawn early Thursday morning.
A Calgary woman who won $1 million on a Lotto 6-49 Gold Ball draw says she hasn't been able to sleep in days.
The driver killed in a head-on crash on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa's east end was driving eastbound in the westbound lanes when the vehicle collided with a second vehicle, according to Ontario Provincial Police.
A student transportation driver in Ottawa is facing charges following an investigation into alleged sexual offences in the Centretown area, according to Ottawa police.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Mayor Mark Sutcliffe at Ottawa City Hall on Thursday, for a meeting to discuss municipal-federal issues.
Motorists are facing higher prices in many parts of Quebec as gas stations switch from winter to summer gasoline.
François Legault still doesn't know the price of a 4 1/2 apartment in Montreal, three years after getting bogged down on the issue.
PQ Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon isn't shying away from criticism that comments he made referencing Canada's colonial past were an inappropriate way to push his party's sovereignty agenda.
The Alberta government will detail on Thursday measures it’s taking to ensure electricity is more affordable.
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Cool air has settled in over the province and it'll be here for a few more days.
Seven people are facing charges under the federal Cannabis Act after peace officers with the Department of Justice and Public Safety seized contraband from dispensaries in Saint John, Riverview, and Moncton, N.B., earlier this month.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says an agreement in principle has been reached on a new contract for public school teachers.
The case of the teen charged in the death of Tyson MacDonald in southeastern Prince Edward Island has once again been adjourned.
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
A Winnipeg man is raising a red flag after his landlord said no to health-care equipment that could change his life – a problem he believes is a human rights issue.
A Manitoba teacher is selling off his colossal board game collection that he’s amassed through more than a decade of scouring thrift stores, pawn shops and garage sales.
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte is set to speak on a recent offer from the province – presenting a potential end to Saskatchewan's nearly year-long education labour dispute with educators.
Attendees are concerned the provincial government is not properly consulting First Nations on a number of issues such as hunting and trapping laws, crown land sales, as well as forestry and environmental affairs.
No one was hurt in a house fire in Regina's North Central area Wednesday night, Regina Fire said.
Don’t be alarmed if you see some strange new creatures in Waterloo Park.
People living in the community of Ayr say they are dealing with a safety concern due to transport trucks travelling through their downtown.
Pizza and coffee wasn’t what Jeet Shergill was expecting to order on his lunch break, but he saw the posters of the new menu item at Tim Hortons and decided to give it a shot.
Saskatchewan Teachers' Federation (STF) President Samantha Becotte is set to speak on a recent offer from the province – presenting a potential end to Saskatchewan's nearly year-long education labour dispute with educators.
Concern is growing for Saskatoon's homeless population with a core neighbourhood shelter set to close in days.
The Saskatoon Blades are off to the Western Hockey League’s (WHL) Eastern Conference final for the second year in a row after completing a four game sweep of the Red Deer Rebels Wednesday night in central Alberta.
WARNING: Please be aware that some details of this story are upsetting. An animal cruelty investigation is underway in northern Ontario after a box of dead puppies was found at a landfill site, police say.
The body of a missing man has been found after his vehicle was pulled into a northern creek on Saturday morning, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Drivers were faced with some big numbers at the pumps Thursday morning. The price of gas shot up over night by about 15 cents to around $1.79 per litre.
Just before 9 p.m., officers used a search warrant at a home in the 300 block of Wellington St. near Stuart Street where three people were arrested.
According to the London Police Service (LPS), a 35-year-old Constable who lives in Woodstock was arrested and charged with impaired driving.
Police advise vehicle owners to be cautious about selling privately after a recent incident where the seller did everything right when faced with a scammer.
Provincial police are investigating after a man's body washed up on the shores of Lake Couchiching in Severn Township.
A Barrie police officer charged with discreditable conduct following an OPP investigation made a court appearance via teleconference on Thursday morning.
Damage is estimated at $300,000 after a house fire in the Fontainebleau area.
Windsor police have seized nearly $42,000 in illegal drugs after raiding a psilocybin dispensary. Around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, police used a search warrant at the business in the 300 block of Ouellette Ave. near University Avenue.
Morgan Hurt shares a birthday with her grandfather, Bruce Rand – but it’s the fact both have received life-saving organ donations that has really solidified their special bond.
A Nanaimo, B.C., woman says she is serenading a killer whale calf with her violin, hoping to entice the orca to leave the remote lagoon where she has been trapped alone for almost four weeks.
The B.C. government will be making an announcement Thursday about incoming short-term rental rules.
The British Columbia government is encouraging anglers to pack their tackle boxes and head out to a remote lake on Vancouver Island as the province attempts to eradicate an invasive population of sport fish.
A banana ball python that was stolen from a Kelowna pet store on Saturday has been returned unharmed, Mounties said.
Nurses held a rally Wednesday at a hospital in the B.C. Interior that closed its emergency department more than a dozen times last year due to insufficient staff.
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
Three men who helped lead and co-ordinate the 2022 border blockade at Coutts, Alta., have been found guilty of public mischief.
Lethbridge police have arrested a Vermilion, Alta., man in connection with a 'grandparent scam' that took aim at a local senior.
An Alberta woman was killed in a multi-vehicle crash on a highway north of Coaldale, Alta., on Wednesday morning.
A 65-year-old northern Ontario woman says her winning lottery scratch ticket is the best present she has ever received.
A northern Ont. city councillor says she fears many women will go without the proper health care after town loses access to mobile cancer screening.
For the next several months, the City of Sault Ste. Marie will be cracking down on people who improperly use accessible parking spaces.
A Celebrity Apex cruise to the Caribbean this month turned into a rocking Newfoundland kitchen party when hundreds of people from Canada's easternmost province happened to be booked on the same ship.
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
Longliners across Newfoundland and Labrador are tied up once again, as a new protest by the province's fish harvesters threatens to derail the crab fishery for a second straight year.
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