BERLIN (Reuters) - German conservative Friedrich Merz, a possible successor of Angela Merkel as leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said on Wednesday he is a convinced European and a supporter of close ties with the United States.

Speaking to reporters in Berlin, Merz said that the CDU should remain a big-tent party at the center of the political spectrum.

“The CDU now needs an awakening and a renewal,” Merz said. “The CDU needs a forward-looking, political debate and that means from my point of view that the CDU must get a clear idea of its brand essence.”