The embattled German Chancellor could now be succeeded by one her rivals Health Minister Jens Spahn or former MP Friedrich Merz whom she had hoped to block from replacing her. Angela Merkel’s turmoil comes after Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer announced she would be stepping down as CDU leader and would not run for Chancellorship in Germany.
With Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer out of the picture it means Mrs Merkel’s long time foes, Mr Spahn and Mr Merz can throw their hat in the ring.
Outspoken critic Mr Spahn has long made it clear he wants Mrs Merkel’s job, having been the deputy finance minister since 2015 and previously the CDU’s health expert.
The health minister has repeatedly criticised Mrs Merkel’s centrist policies, particularly on immigration, branding Mrs Merkel’s refugee policy, which saw one million migrants enter Germany in 2015, as “a disruption of our state”.
In 2018, Mr Spahn was handed a top job in the cabinet as health minister by Mrs Merkel, which signalled efforts by the CDU to win back voters who turned to the far-right Alternative for Germany.
Meanwhile, Mr Merz, 64, is a German lawyer and politician of the CDU – he was an MEP from 1989 to 1994.
In 2002, Mrs Merkel pushed out Mr Merz and took over his influential post as CDU parliamentary group leader.
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“It won’t surprise you, and it’s no secret, that I didn’t agree with all her decisions, but she certainly deserves respect.”
Once described as the world’s most powerful woman, Mrs Merkel stepped down as leader of the CDU in 2018 and is preparing to step down as chancellor in 2021 after losing grip on power in the face of plummeting opinion polls and an unpopular and ineffective coalition government.
She had hoped Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer, who replaced her as CDU party leader, would run for Chancellorship.
However, after Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer’s shock announcement Mrs Merkel was forced to express her “regret”.
Mrs Merkel said: “I regard this decision with great respect, though I greatly regret it.
“I can imagine this wasn’t an easy decision for her and I thank her for being prepared to stay on to steer the process of choosing a successor.”
The shock news followed days of in-fighting within the party over its handling last week of the election of a governor in the state of Thuringia.
Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer was unable to prevent a rebellion from CDU politicians who voted with the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) to oust the left-wing incumbent.