Voters, political analyst on Merkel's decision to step down
106 views · Published 3 November 2018 · 3:21 · Indexed 27 September 2026
Channel: AP Archive · 2018 · News & Politics
(29 Oct 2018) Angela Merkel has confirmed that she plans to step down as leader of her conservative party after 18 years but says she will remain German chancellor for the rest of the current parliamentary term. Merkel's announcement Monday followed two state election debacles for the federal government's "grand coalition" of her conservative Christian Democratic Union, its Bavaria-only sister, the Christian Social Union, and the center-left Social Democrats. Merkel appeared keen to set in motion an orderly transition amid recent signs that her authority is eroding. Her fourth-term government, which took office in March, has become notorious for infighting. Voters punished the governing parties in state elections Sunday in Hesse and two weeks ago in Bavaria. Merkel told reporters on Monday that she sees this as the opening of a new phase for her conservative Christian Democratic Union party. She confirmed reports that Health Minister Jens Spahn and CDU General Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer have both announced they would vie for the party leadership job. Spahn has been a critic of Merkel while Kramp-Karrenbauer is widely seen as relatively close to the chancellor. Merkel told reporters Monday, however, that she wouldn't try and influence the process of who succeeds her. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/cbcaab1cd8347cc0b95f58c8b371ea75
