The man who wants to replace Merkel and run Europe's biggest economy has one very big problem

Christian Odendahl, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, says: “He's a middle of the road German conservative, but he does have corporatist instincts.” With Laschet the leader of the heavily industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia, having “German business interests at heart” is his “instinct”, Odendahl says.

“I could well imagine him to be very pragmatic but we shouldn't expect any centrist radicalism in the way of Joe Biden or something … don't expect any big shifts in German economic policy.”