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| Merkel will not seek new term as chancellor & CDU chair as party faces support slump | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Angela Merkel has said she will not seek re-election as Germany's chancellor as well as CDU's party chair. The decision comes after a debacle for her party in the local elections in the federal state of Hesse. | Angela Merkel has said she will not seek re-election as Germany's chancellor as well as CDU's party chair. The decision comes after a debacle for her party in the local elections in the federal state of Hesse. |
| On Sunday, Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) received 28 percent of the votes. Although that was more support than other competitors received, it was a significant drop from the 38.3 percent won by the party in the state's last election in 2013. | On Sunday, Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) received 28 percent of the votes. Although that was more support than other competitors received, it was a significant drop from the 38.3 percent won by the party in the state's last election in 2013. |
| READ MORE: Merkel's sister party CSU suffers worst election result since 1950 in Bavaria | |
| "Firstly, at the next CDU party congress in December in Hamburg, I will not put myself forward again as candidate for the CDU chair," Merkel told reporters. | |
| As the CDU experiences losses in support, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is seeing a rise in popularity. It received 12 percent of the votes in Hesse on Sunday, and now holds parliamentary seats in every single German state. | As the CDU experiences losses in support, the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is seeing a rise in popularity. It received 12 percent of the votes in Hesse on Sunday, and now holds parliamentary seats in every single German state. |
| Speaking to RT following the Hesse elections, independent political observer Steven Meissner told RT that Merkel “is getting weaker and weaker and more unpopular.” | |
| Merkel's popularity has indeed been slipping for a long time, with her handling of the 2015 migrant crisis being a major contributing factor. A July poll found that only one in five Germans were happy with her performance as leader. | |
| While making her announcement, Merkel declined to back any of the several CDU members who are seeking to replace her as party chair. | |
| Merkel, 64, chaired the CDU party since 2000 and has served as Germany's chancellor since 2005. | |
| DETAILS TO FOLLOW | DETAILS TO FOLLOW |