The German Chancellor’s decision to desperately cling onto power despite announcing her intention to quit life as a politician will open the door to a so-called ‘Jamaica coalition’, Mr Gabriel said.
Mrs Merkel announced that she intends to step down as CDU chairwoman and not stand for re-election at the party’s conference in early December.
But the German Chancellor is determined to hang onto her top job until 2021, when she will then leave domestic politics for good.
Reacting to her announcement, Mr Gabriel said: “Angela Merkel’s decision not to let go of the CDU leadership is probably only her first step to finally clear the way for a ‘Jamaica coalition’ of CDU/CSU, FDP and Greens, by giving up the chancellery.”
He believes this will happen “at the latest after the European election in May 2019” and lead to a breakup of the current German government.
Mrs Merkel had attempted to cobble together the coalition with the Greens, Liberals and Free Democratic Party after the last general election.
Despite her party wanting her to pursue a more conservative profile to combat the rising popularity of the right-wing Alternative for Germany, the long-time German leader pressed on with negotiations.
Talks eventually broke down when the FDP walked away from the negotiating table and Mrs Merkel was forced to enter into a ‘Grand coalition’ with the SPD.
Their get-together has, however, been disastrous for both parties as they’ve haemorrhaged votes, while the AfD has managed to seats in all 16 regional parliaments as well as the Bundestag.
Mrs Merkel’s shock announcement came after the CDU lost a significant amount of support in a vote in the western state of Hesse.
Results from Sunday’s election, which are seen as crucial in the future of Germany’s coalition government, showed the CDU slump to 27 percent of the vote.
The figures represent a drop of 11 percent points since Hesse went to the polls in 2013 and the party’s worst showing in the state since 1966.
Mrs Merkel’s SPD coalition partners also haemorrhaged supporters, as the party only returned 19.8 percent in a dead heat with the Green Party for second place.
The race to replace Mrs Merkel as CDU leader and ultimately Chancellor has already begun, with several candidates already being touted for the role.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is the likely favour to succeed the outgoing Mrs Merkel.
The current CDU general secretary shares much of her boss’ politics but won’t receive a recommendation to run.
Friedrich Merz is also expected to make a return to politics despite having not been a member of the Bundestag since 2009.
He was consider a political rival of Mrs Merkel in the early years of her premiership, but was sidelined as her power became unassailable.