angela germanys merkel to step down in 2021
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today
Arab Today, arab today
Last Updated : GMT 06:49:16
Arab Today, arab today

Angela Germany's Merkel to step down in 2021

Arab Today, arab today

Arab Today, arab today Angela Germany's Merkel to step down in 2021

German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Berlin - DPA

Germany's veteran leader Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Monday that she will step down when her current term expires in 2021, kicking off a race for the top job in Europe's biggest economy.

Although there had been widespread speculation about the end of the Merkel era, the shock announcement came after a drubbing for her conservative bloc in state elections in Hesse and Bavaria, and after months of infighting in her three-way coalition government.

Merkel, who has been chancellor for nearly 13 years, said during a news conference that she would give up the leadership of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at a December party congress, and will also not run again for parliament or another term as chancellor.

Describing the elections in the state of Hesse on the weekend as a "turning point," Merkel gave a dim assessment of her government's work so far.

"Things can't go on like this. The image that the government is presenting is unacceptable," she said.

"This decision is my contribution so that the coalition can focus its efforts on good governance," she said after a meeting of her party executive in Berlin.

The decision to step down as party leader is a major U-turn for Merkel, who previously stated that the top job was inseparable from the party leadership.

Separating the two was "a gamble," she said, adding that the risk was justifiable.

Asked by reporters if she was now a lame-duck chancellor, she replied: "This is not unusual in international politics and they govern well nonetheless."

Three candidates have come forward to replace her as party chair, Merkel and party sources said: Jens Spahn, Germany's current health minister and a Merkel critic; Friedrich Merz, the former head of the conservative bloc in the Bundestag; and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the CDU secretary general and one of Merkel's ally.

On Sunday, the CDU saw its support slump more than 10 points in the state of Hesse. On October 14, the CDU's sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), saw a similar loss in its home state of Bavaria.

The CDU is due to elect a new leader at its party conference in December. It was previously expected that Merkel, who has chaired the party since 2000, would once again put herself forward.

Merkel's federal-level coalition partners, the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), also suffered humiliating slumps of around 10 points in this month's state polls, and the chancellor's decision to give up the party leadership could increase pressure on the SPD to seek its own new leader.

Constant infighting between the coalition parties has been blamed for the poor results in Hesse and Bavaria. Current SPD chief Andrea Nahles pointed the finger at the conservatives for the government's woes, particularly at Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who has repeatedly sparred with Merkel over immigration policy.

Seehofer himself said that he was sorry to hear of Merkel's decision. "It is a shame. I emphatically say: It is a shame," he said.

"We had many discussions, but our work together was always supported by trust and mutual respect," he said. He had worked with Merkel for the past 30 years, which was a "very, very long and productive time," he said.

If the SPD pulls out of the coalition, it could force Merkel into a minority government or trigger a snap general election - a risky move for the ailing major parties.

The main winners in the weekend Hesse elections were the Greens, who rose 8.7 points to match the SPD with 19.8-per-cent voter support. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) also had reason to celebrate, gaining 9 points to reach 13.1 per cent and enter Hesse's parliament for the first time.

"We should not forget that she was the first woman to lead the CDU in this place that is so often dominated by men," Green Party co-chair Annalena Baerbock said.

Baerbock also said that Merkel led her party through a difficult time and opened it up to "a modern image of society ... And for this, we owe her respect," she added.

The AfD's success in Hesse means that it is now represented in all of the country's 16 state parliaments, marking a major milestone for the 5-year-old party.

 

arabstoday
arabstoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

angela germanys merkel to step down in 2021 angela germanys merkel to step down in 2021

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

angela germanys merkel to step down in 2021 angela germanys merkel to step down in 2021

 



GMT 15:36 2017 Monday ,09 January

Major EU-GCC meeting in Riyadh today

GMT 17:19 2016 Thursday ,22 December

KFMC surgeons remove 28 kg tumor from woman’s uterus

GMT 17:33 2017 Wednesday ,16 August

Damac reports decline in property development sales

GMT 09:16 2018 Monday ,01 January

Seoul leaning towards military measures

GMT 01:05 2017 Wednesday ,20 December

No guarantees on French-German initiative on Ukraine

GMT 21:00 2017 Sunday ,17 September

Saif bin Zayed approves adoption of 'Emirati Reader'

GMT 02:10 2017 Thursday ,05 January

Bahrain Stock Index Drops 3.47 Points

GMT 02:05 2017 Thursday ,28 September

July24th-August23rd

GMT 04:17 2017 Saturday ,11 November

Laulala out to prove All Blacks worth against France

GMT 02:42 2017 Friday ,14 July

NATO Tripoli strike kills civilians

GMT 05:47 2017 Wednesday ,18 January

Mohamed bin Zayed attends opening of ADSW 2017

GMT 05:40 2016 Saturday ,26 November

Oil falls 2% on OPEC cut uncertainty

GMT 16:48 2016 Tuesday ,11 October

Greek police escort refugee children to school

GMT 09:42 2017 Saturday ,12 August

Prince Charles Promoted to Highest Military Rank

GMT 13:07 2017 Monday ,25 September

Iran blocks all Iraqi Kurdistan flights
Arab Today, arab today
 
 Arab Today Facebook,arab today facebook  Arab Today Twitter,arab today twitter Arab Today Rss,arab today rss  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube  Arab Today Youtube,arab today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday arabstoday arabstoday
arabstoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
arabstoday, Arabstoday, Arabstoday