Merkel implores Germans to back conservatives as they hit record low

FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at the plenary hall of the lower house of Parliament, or Bundestag, during one of the last sessions before the federal elections in Berlin, Germany, September 7, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

(Corrects to add dropped word in first paragraph)

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel made an impassioned plea to German voters on Tuesday to back her would-be successor Armin Laschet at this month's national election, as an opinion poll showed support for their conservatives slumping to an all-time low.