BERLIN (AFP) - Germany's centre right opposition Christian Democrats on Saturday (Jan 22) elected Mr Friedrich Merz, a critic of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, as their new leader by a huge majority.

Dr Merkel left office in 2021 after 16 years in power and was succeeded by Social Democrat Olaf Scholz at the helm of a three-way coalition with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats.

Electoral defeat left the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) having to regroup and members gave their strong backing to Mr Merz, a 66-year-old on the traditional right of the party, after twice rejecting him in recent years.

Mr Merz, the only candidate standing, received the backing of 95 per cent of 980 delegates at a virtual party congress and declared himself "deeply moved" to see the extent of their support.

The CDU are licking their wounds after a defeat to Mr Scholz's Social Democrats in September elections which saw Mr Merz's predecessor Armin Laschet lead the party to the worst showing in its history.

"We must be a strong opposition," said Mr Merz as he targeted success in a slew of elections to regional assemblies slated this year.

He also took aim at Mr Scholz, claiming the new chancellor should take a harder line both on Russia's ambitions in Ukraine and on making vaccination against Covid-19 obligatory.

The new CDU helmsman is a long-time opponent of Dr Merkel, their rivalry dating back 20 years to when the former chancellor removed him from the strategically key post of chairman of the parliamentary party.

In 2009, Mr Merz stepped away from politics to move into finance, becoming a multimillionaire, also taking on several influential roles within large companies - he was notably an investment manager with Blackrock.

He also worked as a commercial lawyer.

The married Catholic father of three, who first entered parliament in 1994, owns two aeroplanes and pilots one himself.