‘Merkel’s exit won’t hurt her influence abroad’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday she did not expect her global influence to be diminished in the run-up to her planned exit from politics in 2021, even as the race to succeed her gathered pace.

Merkel said on Monday she would not stand for re-election in December as leader of her centre-right CDU party, but that she planned to see out her fourth term as German leader. The transition period set by Merkel is however a long time in politics, and even CDU heavyweights are publicly voicing doubts on whether she can hold on to power until the end of her mandate. Despite the uncertainties, Merkel, 64, insisted that she would not be hamstrung on the world stage.

"I think that nothing will change in my bargaining position in international negotiations," the veteran leader said. "One might even say that I now have more time to concentrate on my tasks as government leader," she said, given that she would no longer be CDU party chief from December.

Analysts are not so sure. Lueder Gerken from the Centre for European Politics said that after announcing her decision, "the chancellor will hardly be able to convince the world that she can continue to be the guarantor of a certain degree of stability in the EU."

Observers also note that she is no longer the master of Germany’s political calendar. "Whether Merkel will really govern as chancellor until 2021 and then leave politics as promised, or whether the events would suddenly become uncontrollable for her, is no longer up to her alone," said news weekly Der Spiegel. Wolfgang Schaeuble, Bundestag president and former finance minister, noted that "there are three years to go in the legislature period. We will see if that will really be the case.