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Merkel said she plans to remain chancellor until her term ends in 2021 but will not run for another term as German leader. But giving up the party post will weaken her authority and reinforce the sense that her long reign is coming to an end. It also raises the prospect that her party, or her coalition partners, could push her out of the chancellery sooner.
Merkel’s announcement is also likely to make her less influential on the European stage, where she has been the pre-eminent political figure for more than a decade.
“I have the feeling it is time to open a new chapter,” Merkel told reporters in Berlin.
Merkel said she is not looking for any other political positions — a bid to scotch speculation that she could be a candidate for a top EU post. [...]
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