ANNEGRET Kramp-Karrenbauer, the under-fire leader of Germany’s ruling Christian Democrats (CDU), threw down the gauntlet to her critics today, saying she would step down if the party failed to back her.
Widely known by her initials “AKK”, the 57-year-old has endured a rocky first year at the helm since taking over the party leadership from Chancellor Angela Merkel at last year’s conference.