Laughing in flood town was stupid, says Germany's Laschet as gaffe hits ratings

FILE PHOTO: CDU leader and North Rhine-Westphalia's State Premier Armin Laschet laughs as the German president (unseen) delivers a speech during their visit to flood-hit Erftstadt, Germany July 17, 2021. Picture taken July 17, 2021 Marius Becker/Pool/File Photo

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's conservative candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor apologised on Sunday for laughing on a visit to a flood-stricken town last week, a gaffe that has hit his ratings two months before a federal election.

Armin Laschet's conservative bloc is around 10 points ahead of the Greens in most polls, but his lapse last weekend at Erftstadt, when he was caught on camera laughing at a joke while the country's president was giving a sombre speech, has cost him.