According to Deutsche Welle, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not seek re-election when her fifth term as chancellor expires in 2021. Merkel made the announcement during a news conference in Berlin. She expects to obtain a position in the European Union, the DPA agency writes, citing competent sources.
The current Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany took office in 2005. In March 2018, she was re-elected for a fourth term. Merkel had previously indicated that she intended to resign as Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) party leader. Recall she led the party since 2000. Merkel's decision was influenced by the extremely low support from the CDU party, as well as its low popularity among the German population. During the 2017 Bundestag election, only a third of the votes were given to the CDU and CSU (Christian Social Union) parties.
The loss of votes by the party at a regional election in the German state of Hesse on October 28 was also disappointing. The CDU party won only 27 percent, down 11 percent in the last election in this territorial entity. According to the German Chancellor, the loss of votes of the CDU in Hesse is due to the negative influence of national policy on the mood of voters. She is confident that her resignation will help the government review its old strategy and find new solutions to ensure a better future for Germany.
According to media reports, a former CDU/CSU parliamentary bloc leader in the Bundestag, Friedrich Merz, may become the head of the party. According to Bloomberg, President of the Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble, Minister of Defense Ursula von Leyen, Minister of Health Jens Spahn, Minister for Economic Affairs Peter Altmaier and Secretary General of the CDU Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer will apply for this post.
