German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will not be seeking a reelection as Chancellor and chairperson of his party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in December, as she prepares to end her 13-year dominance in both Germany and Europe, but not until when her tenure ends in 2021.
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel made this disclosure in a meeting of conservative leaders, after two disastrous results in regional elections that saw her party and its allies slump to near-record lows. She said:
“At the next CDU party congress in December in Hamburg, I will not put myself forward again as a candidate for the CDU chair,”
She also said this will be her last term in office, saying:
“This fourth term is my last as German chancellor. At the federal election in 2021, I will not stand again as chancellor candidate, nor as a candidate for the Bundestag, and I won’t seek any further political offices,” she added.
After leading the Christian Democratic Union for 18 years and the country for 13, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said her decision was aimed at giving her party the opportunity “to get ready for the time after me.” she said.
According to a report by Reuter, the stepping down of the 62-year old German Chancellor as CDU chairwoman further undermines Merkel’s authority, as she had previously said the party chair and chancellery should be held by the same person.
Merkel has loomed large on the European stage since 2005, helping guide the EU through the euro zone crisis and opening Germany’s doors to migrants fleeing war in the Middle East in 2015 – a move that still divides the bloc and Germany.
We do not know what her decision to step down could mean to millions of migrants who have been in different camps in Germany, and some given a permanent residence. But hopefully, she puts things in place that will protect these migrants as the issue has been one of the most talked about in the German politics.