Germany's Angela Merkel says she won't run again for party leader or chancellor
2018-10-30 09:31:40 source：The Washington Post
October 29, 2018
BERLIN — Once the most powerful politician in Europe, German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted on Monday that she has become a lame duck, setting off a scramble to replace her and deepening the continent’s deficit of high-octane leaders.
A day after a stinging defeat in regional elections, Merkel said she will step aside as chair of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the party’s conference in December and will not run for reelection as chancellor in 2021. With her coalition government increasingly unpopular and unstable, the end of her tenure could come far sooner.
The surprise decision reflected growing pressure on the longest-serving head of government in the European Union after a year of setbacks. The battle to succeed her is likely to become a referendum on her reign, with whoever emerges atop the CDU becoming the instant favorite to take over as chancellor.
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