Germany’s Angela Merkel to step down as chancellor in 2021
- She will not seek re-election as party leader
- The move comes after a spate of regional vote defeats
Germany’s Angela Merkel announced on Monday that she will step down as head of her conservative party in December after 18 years and will not seek a fifth term as chancellor in 2021, launching a leadership transition in Europe’s biggest economy.
Merkel has led her conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) since 2000 and Germany since 2005. She put Germany – and Europe – on track towards a new political era after voters punished Germany’s governing parties in a state election Sunday, the latest in a string of woes to hit her fourth-term federal administration.
Merkel currently governs Germany in a “grand coalition” of what traditionally have been the country’s biggest parties – the CDU, Bavaria’s conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), and the centre-left Social Democrats. Her current coalition took office only in March, after six months of tortuous negotiations, but has become notorious for its squabbling.
The 64-year-old chancellor’s personal popularity remains solid but she appeared keen to launch an orderly transition period amid signs that her authority is eroding. Merkel will now concentrate her energy on keeping her government going until 2021, something that still remains uncertain.
Merkel told reporters in Berlin that she has led the CDU with “passion and dedication” but added “today it is time to start a new chapter”.