BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel named Ursula von der Leyen as her new defence minister on Sunday, a surprising choice that could vault the ambitious ally into the lead as the front runner to one day succeed the chancellor.
Merkel, 59, will begin her third term on Tuesday - three months after winning the September 22 election - now that her junior coalition partners, the Social Democrats, voted on Saturday to join her in a "grand coalition".
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