Merkel: “Nothing will change my position in international negotiations”
German Chancellor Merkel believes the announcement that she will withdraw from the race for chancellor after her term ends in 2021 will not affect her international standing.
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| German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks at a CDU party leadership meeting in Berlin on October 29, 2018. Photo: AFP/ VNA |
The veteran leader stressed that "nothing will change my position in international negotiations."
On the contrary, Ms. Merkel said that she will now have more time to focus on her duties as head of government.
However, observers are not convinced by the above statement. Experts say that the German Chancellor will have more difficulty convincing the world about her efforts to ensure stability in the European Union (EU).
Some opinions also leave open the possibility that she will not be able to stay in office until the end of her term in 2021 and that developments in German politics in the coming time will be beyond the control of this female leader.
Previously, on October 29, Chancellor Merkel announced that she would not run for the position of Chairman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) at the party's congress, scheduled to be held in December in Hamburg.
According to analysts, Chancellor Merkel's decision was significantly influenced by the results of the Hessen state election held the day before, with her CDU party winning only 27.6% of the votes, down nearly 11% compared to the 2013 election results.
The election in the state of Hessen is considered a measure of politics in the capital Berlin, and the defeat of both the CDU and SPD has further damaged the reputation of the grand coalition government and Chancellor Merkel herself, which was already low.
