Merkel seeks to boost party before election, rebukes deputy

By GEIR MOULSON
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel has painted a rosy picture of her government’s record and assailed the possibility of a future left-wing administration. She sought to boost her struggling party’s candidate on Tuesday as she addressed what is expected to be the German parliament’s last session before the Sept. 26 election. Merkel also clashed openly with her deputy who is a rival party’s candidate to succeed her and is currently leading in polls over a comment in which he jokingly described people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 as “guinea pigs.” It was an unusually partisan speech by Merkel, who has largely stayed out of the campaign.