Germany's Ruling Conservatives Scramble for Direction After Merkel.

The article discusses Germany's Ruling Conservatives Scramble for Direction. Topics include German Chancellor Angella Markel plan for a smooth retirement collapsed last week when her hand picked successor unexpectedly resigned, throwing Markel's conservative Christain Democratic Union into Turmoil; and Germany's most powerful political party is now frantically searching for a new leader, even as it grapples with a broader identity crisis after shedding.