FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) speaks to German defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen after the TV debate with her challenger Germany's Social Democratic Party SPD candidate for chancellor Martin Schulz in Berlin, Germany, September 3, 2017. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch
BERLIN/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - In the twilight of her career, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has chosen to soak up domestic heat from her coalition partners in order to secure a close ally at the top of the European Union who will outlast her.
Ursula von der Leyen, the current German defence minister who was tapped by EU leaders on Tuesday as a unity candidate to be European Commission chief, was not Merkel's first choice. But with an eye on her legacy, the conservative chancellor has a like-minded problem solver in place to take the helm of the EU.
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