Germany’s Greens back Baerbock for chancellorship despite dip in polls

Party officially endorses co-leader and top candidate for September election to succeed Merkel

Germany's Green party has said it remains confident of securing the chancellorship and succeeding Angela Merkel at the country's autumn election despite a drop in the polls, as it officially endorsed its lead candidate for the job.

Setbacks in recent weeks have led to the Greens slipping to second place behind Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) after commanding the polls for the first time in years. But this did not dissuade delegates from wholeheartedly throwing their support behind Annalena Baerbock at the party's annual gathering on Saturday.