New Delhi, Oct. 21 -- SUCH IS THE power of the Junge Union (JU), the youth branch of Germany's ruling centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), that all the party's big beasts feel obliged to pay it homage. At last weekend's JU congress in Bonn, each was given a prizefighter's entrance, complete with flashing spotlights and theme music selected by the organisers.

Friedrich Merz, the CDU's embattled chancellor, will have been happy with "We stay united through the storm". Hendrik Wust, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia and a potential challenger to Mr Merz, looked a little bewildered on entering to the thump of "You should know that baby you're the best", before delivering a dull speech. As for the congress's slogan, "Tomorrow is...