German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday said she would not seek re-election after the end of her term in 2021, DW News reported. She rejected reports that claimed she would run for the top post at the European Commission.
Her decision was announced hours after she told members of her Christian Democratic Union party that she would also not seek a re-election to the party’s chief post. Merkel said she would not choose her successor either, AFP reported. The development follows the party’s poor performance in two recently held regional elections in Bavaria and Hesse.
Merkel has held the post of party leader since 2000 and has served as German chancellor since 2005.
Traditionally, one person occupies the posts of chancellor and leader of the government’s largest party, a stance Merkel has agreed with in the past.
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