Germany’s Merkel To Step Down

Germany's Angela Merkel will step down as chancellor in 2021.

16I will not be seeking any political post after my term ends

She also said she would not seek re-election as leader of the center-right CDU party in December, according to CNN and the BBC. She has led the party since 2000.

The CDU received a blow in Sunday's poll in the state of Hesse, the latest in a series of setbacks.

Both the CDU and the Social Democrats, CDU’s coalition partners, were 10 percentage points down on the previous poll there – even though they have retained power in Hesse.

The election comes just weeks after Merkel's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, faced defeat in a state parliament vote.

80It is time today for me to start a new chapter

88This fourth term is my last term as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. In the next Bundestag election in 2021

96very challenging and fulfilling task.97

It seems from her decision that she is winding down her 13-year dominance of European politics.

She said that she'd known since the summer break that she no longer wanted to be the CDU chairman and that during the party's conference in December she will not run again for office.