German Chancellor Merkel visits flood-affected region in North Rhine-Westphalia
epa09449460 German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a press conference after visit flood-affected regions in North Rhine-Westphalia in Hagen, Germany, 05 September 2021. Large parts of western Germany and central Europe were hit by flash floods in the night of 14 to 15 July, following days of continuous rain that destroyed buildings and swept away cars. Laschet is the top candidate for chancellor of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in the upcoming September 2021 federal election. EPA/FRIEDEMANN VOGEL