“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced she will give up leadership of her center-right Christian Democrat Union (CDU) party after 18 years in the post,” CNN reports.
“Merkel announced during a meeting with officials that she will not seek to run for re-election at the party’s convention in December. But she made clear that she wanted to remain as chancellor, a position she has held since 2005… The announcement is a sign of Merkel’s weakened power within her own party, and waning popularity in the country.”
Bloomberg: “The unexpected reversal by Merkel, 64, signals the beginning of the end of an era during which her command of Germany put its stamp on Europe and beyond for more than a decade. Even so, Merkel’s term as chancellor runs until 2021 and Merkel has said she intends to serve it out.”
