Merkel to stand for fourth term as German Chancellor, CDU party sources

[webfact]

Merkel to stand for fourth term as German Chancellor, CDU party sources

Joanna Gill

 

 

BERLIN: -- German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told her party she will stand for a fourth term.

 

After eight months of speculation, Merkel told a meeting of her conservative CDUparty in Berlin of her intentions ahead of elections in autumn next year, according to a German news agency.

 

She is expected to formally announce her candidacy later on Sunday.

 

In power since 2005, the conservative leader is widely viewed as a stabilising force in Europe, particularly as it faces uncertainty post-Brexit as well as after the election of Donald Trump as US president.

 

The migrant crisis is likely to be a defining feature of campaigning. Her decision to allow around million asylum seekers into the country has dented her record. Her party suffered in recent regional elections, while the anti-immigrant Alterntive for Germany (AfD) soared.

 

Despite a recent dip in her popularity some 55% of Germans say they want to see her serve a fourth term. By standing again, she could end up matching the 16 year reign of Helmut Kohl, her former mentor.

 

(with Reuters)

 

 

-- © Copyright Euronews 2016-11-21

[webfact]

Germany's Merkel will seek a fourth term, face populist tide

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER

 

BERLIN (AP) — Angela Merkel, who has steered Germany through several global crises as its first female leader, said Sunday she will seek a fourth term as chancellor in elections next year, when she could find herself up against the anti-immigrant populist tide that has swept both Europe and the U.S.

 

"I literally thought about this decision endlessly ... but I am ready to run for office again," Merkel told reporters after meeting with high-ranking members of her center-right party. "I want to serve Germany."

 

Repeatedly named "The World's Most Powerful Woman" by Forbes magazine, the 62-year-old Merkel has been cast by some as the last powerful defender of liberal values in the West following Donald Trump's election as the next U.S. president.

 

The nationalist Alterative for Germany party, or AfD, could prove to be one of the biggest stumbling blocks to her re-election. The party, now represented in 10 state parliaments, has aggressively campaigned against Merkel's decision to welcome an estimated 890,000 migrants into Germany last year, many of them Muslims fleeing the war-torn Middle East and Africa.

 

Trump's election and Britain's vote last June to withdraw from the European Union have reflected, in part, growing populist and anti-immigrant sentiment among voters. Elections next year could also see a far-right politician become president of France, which has been beset by violence by Islamic extremists.

 

Merkel said she expects strong challenges from the left and right fringes as Germany has become more polarized.

 

"This election will be difficult — like no other election since the reunification" of West and East Germany in 1990, she said.

 

A date has not been set for the election, but it will take place sometime between Aug. 23 and Oct. 22.

 

Clearly the dominant leader in Europe, Merkel urged caution against outsized expectations about what she might yet achieve.

 

"Everything that's about how it all depends on me, especially after the elections in the U.S., honors me, but at the same time I find it very much grotesque and almost bizarre," she said.

 

"No person ... not even with the biggest experience, can turn things in Germany, Europe and in the world more or less to the good, and especially not the chancellor of Germany."

 

Merkel will also seek re-election as chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union party at its convention next month but faces no serious opposition.

 

A physicist by training, Merkel became chancellor in 2005. She is the first leader of a reunited Germany to have grown up under communism in the former East Germany.

 

If she wins next year and serves the entire four-year term, Merkel will match her one-time mentor Helmut Kohl's postwar record of 16 years in office.

 

Nearly 60 percent of Germans surveyed in a recent poll said they wanted Merkel to run again, said Manfred Guellner, head of the Forsa polling agency.

 

"In these difficult times, Merkel is a pillar of stability," Guellner told The Associated Press. "People have the feeling she represents German interests well abroad."

 

While she has never been described as a visionary or earned much praise for stirring speeches, Merkel — sometimes referred to as "Mutti," or "Mom," in Germany — has won respect for being tough, shrewd and dogged in tackling problems.

 

She has dealt with several international crises, including the Eurozone debt crisis in 2008-09 for which she brokered compromises among fractious EU leaders.

 

She has been a strong advocate of efforts to combat climate change, and in 2011 abruptly accelerated the shutdown of Germany's nuclear power plants following the meltdown at Japan's Fukushima plant.

 

Unresolved diplomatic challenges include Europe's tense relationship with Russia, the future of Ukraine, autocratic developments in Turkey, the war in Syria and negotiations over Britain's exit from the EU.

 

In elections in the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania earlier this year, Merkel's party came in third behind the AfD. According to recent polls, the AfD would win around 10 percent of the vote if general elections were held now.

 

Merkel, the daughter of a Protestant pastor, entered politics in her mid-30s after working as a physicist behind the Iron Curtain. She served as minister for women and families in Kohl's first post-reunification Cabinet in the 1990s and then also as an environment minister.

 

In the beginning of her political career, she was often underestimated by her mostly male, Catholic, West German party companions, who sometimes referred to her condescendingly as "Kohl's girl." In the end, she eliminated her rivals with tactical skill and sheer luck to make it all the way to the top in 2005.

 

While Merkel often appears reserved and even stiff in public, she has tried in past campaigns to show a more human side. She opened up about her favorite pastimes outside politics, which include baking plum cake for her husband, the publicity-shy chemistry professor Joachim Sauer, and spending weekends at a cabin outside Berlin.

 

"I can see how Merkel has this personal ambition to show the people that she, who used to be such an outsider when she first entered politics as an East German and a woman, made it all the way," said Gero Neugebauer, a political scientist at Berlin's Free University.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-11-21

[Dagnabbit]

And the Germans will most likely elect her again.

 

 

[lostinisaan]

Merkel said she expects strong challenges from the left and right fringes as Germany has become more polarized.

 

"This election will be difficult — like no other election since the reunification" of West and East Germany in 1990, she said.

No more Merkel, please. Merkel go home. 

[coma]

They'd be idiots to elect her again. The women that single-handedly destroyed Europe forever. She should be behind bars with her garbage apologist policies. The 2015/16 New Years Eve mass rapes and sexual assaults of over 1200 women, is just one example of how she has changed her country and Europe for the worse, with her foolish stance on immigration. There has to be a Trump styled boil over surely. Let's hope Frauke Petry gets then node.

[NongKhaiKid]

Oh joy and now maybe more migrants will go to Europe just to celebrate the good news.

[lostinisaan]

 

 . There's too many Muslim men, too many people making too many problems 

 

Merkel doesn't seem to get that.

 

         No more Merkel, please. 

 

Land of Confusion?

 

   

 

[daveAustin]

I'd sooner have Prayut in Berlin!

[Sydebolle]

Good luck to all of us 

[wanderluster]

polls say she is a 55% favorite to win again.  brexit was favored to be turned down.. trump was favored to lose.  the closit voters will most likely and hopefully show up again.

[smudger1951]

A fourth term with Merkel will bring the final gasps of Europe not just Germany.

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, smudger1951 said:

A fourth term with Merkel will bring the final gasps of Europe not just Germany.

 

How come?

 

A fourth term will allow her to continue her dominance, and therefore Germany's, over all other EU member states, in conjunction with the puppet Juncker who she placed as EC head. Without Britain opposing, France's lame attempts to oppose and silly economically challenged Italy's comical attempts to oppose she'll be in an even stronger position to make unilateral decisions on behalf of the EU which Juncker and his cronies will then try to impose on all other member states. Just like they tried with the immigrant quotas. She has never ever admitted any mistake or doing anything wrong or making a wrong decision btw. And never will.

 

Amazing that a former communist party youth worker can re-invent herself as a conservative, christian, and democrat. But that wanted to decided alone and tell all how it is shows through.

 

With 4 more years she and Juncker can drive more and more central (i.e. German) control in the EU; and march relentlessly towards the federal EU state they dream of, where elections can't really change the fundamentals and the politician appointed bureaucrats hold day to day power. She learnt her lessons well in the DDR.

 

Given the chance of dominating, controlling and managing the EU, it's easy to see why so many Germans still support her. They too would like ever closer ties, leading to the federal super state, and naturally, see Germany in charge.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

Surely, her dream of a United States of Europe, dominated by Germany, is dead in the water?

[elgordo38]

Why not Angela is there any more damage left for you to do. What a record to stand on. If the people are dumb enough to vote you back in they surely deserve what they get. I guess your hoping that they weigh you on the scale of desperation and find that your the best of a bad lot to choose from. Politicians no longer rise to the top like cream they are like the Donald refers to the residents of the swamps surrounding the seat of power. We do really deserve better but the offerings are bitter and ill tasting. 

[Laughing Gravy]

I look forward to the news article that Merkel has been beaten by a landslide.

[KBsinter]

20 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I look forward to the news article that Merkel has been beaten by a landslide.

 

My wish as well, hope springs eternal.......lol 

[thaibeachlovers]

30 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I look forward to the news article that Merkel has been beaten by a landslide.

An absolutely humiliating rejection would be good.

[elgordo38]

30 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I look forward to the news article that Merkel has been beaten by a landslide.

I hope the beating hurts. Not to worry they will slip her into the UN or some other cushy job. In politics you can be gone but not forgotten. 

[Thaidream]

She is definitely tainted by her Immigration stane of allowing unfettered and unvetted people not only into Germany but causing a crisis in the EU itself. I hope she is defeated soundly. However, she is backed by people who dream of an EU that continues to be dominated by German and its money. If she is re-elected, I would guess other countries will attempt to leave the EU and she will be the cause of it. The smartest thing the UK did was never adopt the Euro and the second smartest was to get out of the EU. 

[JHolmesJr]

Great news…let her stand….she needs another brexit type backlash to slap her to her senses.

 

She's going down big time.

[lostinisaan]

4 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

How come?

 

A fourth term will allow her to continue her dominance, and therefore Germany's, over all other EU member states, in conjunction with the puppet Juncker who she placed as EC head. Without Britain opposing, France's lame attempts to oppose and silly economically challenged Italy's comical attempts to oppose she'll be in an even stronger position to make unilateral decisions on behalf of the EU which Juncker and his cronies will then try to impose on all other member states. Just like they tried with the immigrant quotas. She has never ever admitted any mistake or doing anything wrong or making a wrong decision btw. And never will.

 

Amazing that a former communist party youth worker can re-invent herself as a conservative, christian, and democrat. But that wanted to decided alone and tell all how it is shows through.

 

With 4 more years she and Juncker can drive more and more central (i.e. German) control in the EU; and march relentlessly towards the federal EU state they dream of, where elections can't really change the fundamentals and the politician appointed bureaucrats hold day to day power. She learnt her lessons well in the DDR.

 

Given the chance of dominating, controlling and managing the EU, it's easy to see why so many Germans still support her. They too would like ever closer ties, leading to the federal super state, and naturally, see Germany in charge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   I can't say in one sentence how much I hate this Ex Stasi Spy.

 

         Please see: 

Unfortunately for Merkel, her hopes for Honecker's all-German socialist republic did not work out, at least as far as we know now. Thanks to the Reagan arms buildup, and Gorbachev's refusal to engage in an arms competition after the near fatal non-nuclear showdown with the Anglo-Americans - what was to be triggered by the assassination of Sweden's statsminister Olof Palme - the communist Soviet bloc, and its individual states underwent deadly collapse, triggered by the fall of the Berlin Wall.  

 

Merkel, to cut her losses from potential blowback, suddenly got involved in politics, joining East Germany's new party, Democratic Awakening. Following the first democratic election in the GDR, she became deputy spokesperson for the pre-unification Prime Minister Lothar de Maiziere, a long-time Christian Democratic politician, and suspected agent of Erich Mielke's Stasi - an allegation which led to his disappearance from politics after Helmut Kohl's CDU/CSU gained control of a united Germany.

 

The KGB source also stated that there were all kinds of Western agents flooding Bonn to stop the growing commercial contacts between the FRG and the USSR, especially the proposed construction of a pipeline to bring natural gas from Siberia to the West - what Schmidt, to Moscow's delight, was vigorously pressing ahead with.

 

With the KGB's agent - stationed in the GDR, and apparently Angela Merkel - tipping off Moscow about Washington's new arms race, it was hardly surprising that she finally received her Ph.D. in quantum chemistry.  Thanks to her contacts, and the input from various illegals in the West, she had obviously learned alot about what was going on in the field. Just compiling her agent reports into a coherent document would have been enough for the Institute to give her the degree.  More important, the whole field was becoming much more important with the Soviets having to face nuclear rehabilitation with its aging nuclear arms, and everyone having to worry about nuclear meltdowns of atomic plants - what happened at Chernobyl just when she received her doctorate.

 

 

More here:  http://cryptome.org/0001/merkel-spy.htm

 

   It's quite strange that an Ex- Stasi spy's now the Chancellor of Germany. Merkel, go home.

Edited November 21, 2016 by lostinisaan

[elgordo38]

1 hour ago, lostinisaan said:

 

 

   I can't say in one sentence how much I hate this Ex Stasi Spy.

 

         Please see: 

Unfortunately for Merkel, her hopes for Honecker's all-German socialist republic did not work out, at least as far as we know now. Thanks to the Reagan arms buildup, and Gorbachev's refusal to engage in an arms competition after the near fatal non-nuclear showdown with the Anglo-Americans - what was to be triggered by the assassination of Sweden's statsminister Olof Palme - the communist Soviet bloc, and its individual states underwent deadly collapse, triggered by the fall of the Berlin Wall.  

 

Merkel, to cut her losses from potential blowback, suddenly got involved in politics, joining East Germany's new party, Democratic Awakening. Following the first democratic election in the GDR, she became deputy spokesperson for the pre-unification Prime Minister Lothar de Maiziere, a long-time Christian Democratic politician, and suspected agent of Erich Mielke's Stasi - an allegation which led to his disappearance from politics after Helmut Kohl's CDU/CSU gained control of a united Germany.

 

The KGB source also stated that there were all kinds of Western agents flooding Bonn to stop the growing commercial contacts between the FRG and the USSR, especially the proposed construction of a pipeline to bring natural gas from Siberia to the West - what Schmidt, to Moscow's delight, was vigorously pressing ahead with.

 

With the KGB's agent - stationed in the GDR, and apparently Angela Merkel - tipping off Moscow about Washington's new arms race, it was hardly surprising that she finally received her Ph.D. in quantum chemistry.  Thanks to her contacts, and the input from various illegals in the West, she had obviously learned alot about what was going on in the field. Just compiling her agent reports into a coherent document would have been enough for the Institute to give her the degree.  More important, the whole field was becoming much more important with the Soviets having to face nuclear rehabilitation with its aging nuclear arms, and everyone having to worry about nuclear meltdowns of atomic plants - what happened at Chernobyl just when she received her doctorate.

 

 

More here:  http://cryptome.org/0001/merkel-spy.htm

 

   It's quite strange that an Ex- Stasi spy's now the Chancellor of Germany. Merkel, go home.

WOW thanks for the long history lesson. How soon we forget the past. At the time it happened I was immersed in work, family, kids, wife and just plain having fun. Now that that is all over life has become a more serious matter as I peel back the layers of BS that have accumulated over time and what lies underneath plus the plain lies told is not pretty. Its truly amazing how I was led along the garden path. Age does have its rewards. 

[sweatalot]

 

Merkel to stand for fourth term as German Chancellor

 

An insult to the intelligence of the people

[Roadman]

12 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

How come?

 

A fourth term will allow her to continue her dominance, and therefore Germany's, over all other EU member states, in conjunction with the puppet Juncker who she placed as EC head. Without Britain opposing, France's lame attempts to oppose and silly economically challenged Italy's comical attempts to oppose she'll be in an even stronger position to make unilateral decisions on behalf of the EU which Juncker and his cronies will then try to impose on all other member states. Just like they tried with the immigrant quotas. She has never ever admitted any mistake or doing anything wrong or making a wrong decision btw. And never will.

 

Amazing that a former communist party youth worker can re-invent herself as a conservative, christian, and democrat. But that wanted to decided alone and tell all how it is shows through.

 

With 4 more years she and Juncker can drive more and more central (i.e. German) control in the EU; and march relentlessly towards the federal EU state they dream of, where elections can't really change the fundamentals and the politician appointed bureaucrats hold day to day power. She learnt her lessons well in the DDR.

 

Given the chance of dominating, controlling and managing the EU, it's easy to see why so many Germans still support her. They too would like ever closer ties, leading to the federal super state, and naturally, see Germany in charge.

The greatest german leaders are possibly going to be their most misunderstood...Hiltler, Merkel? OK a real long bow but in years to come she will possibly go down as one of Germany's great leaders and that is partly for what she has done with opening up German borders to mass immigration all be it with some minor issues compared to the huge problem that Germany has coming with its large economic and manufacturing base and worker availability to keep current levels of growth. 

World populations have been collapsing for the last 50 years and it spite of the gloom merchants that we are going to over populate earth it would not be suprising to see them plateau in 2 or 3 more generations. Take the three largest population groups - India, China and the combined western population. China's one child quota has been lifted and there is not expected to be a more than slightly noticeable change. In Western cultures the large family unit has collasped over the last 50 years and India and other lower socio economice countries are now showing the same trends albeit being slower to start only over the last 30 years but it is happening at a very fast rate. We are living longer thanks to medical and technical improvements over the last few generations and not reproducing fast enough and that is falsely skewing current numbers. Germay is one of the worst examples of that with their populations bands where one would expect a good pyramid base at the under 10 and 20 groups but are bulging in their 30's, 40's and 50's age bands, narrowing as expected up to mortality but alarmingly tapering back in there 10, 20 and 30 year old age groups. And that is mirroring across the western world and starting to follow in the likes of India.

The reality is Germany needs a lot more that the million odd immigrants that have found there way there to keep the massive German machine ticking over. And in future not to distant generations those workers will become less available. Initally there was outcry from within Germany  but that all seems to have gone quiet over the later months so one (admittedly as an outsider) would have to consider that those masses have been absorbed into the German infastructure. The issue for Merkel is to sell that longer vision to the German voters. 

[Grouse]

10 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

I look forward to the news article that Merkel has been beaten by a landslide.

 

Why?

 

She is now the last bastion of the liberal west

 

Fools don't understand what they wish for.....

[Laughing Gravy]

8 hours ago, Grouse said:

 

Why?

 

She is now the last bastion of the liberal west

 

Fools don't understand what they wish for.....

She is a horrible, vile dictator who has caused the immigration disaster across Europe. Well Done Merkel. If am a fool well I will live with that, to see her gone and yes I know exactly what I wish for. The end of the liberal west, as it has never worked and is the cause of the problems in the EU.

Edited November 22, 2016 by Laughing Gravy

[thaibeachlovers]

10 hours ago, Roadman said:

The greatest german leaders are possibly going to be their most misunderstood...Hiltler, Merkel? OK a real long bow but in years to come she will possibly go down as one of Germany's great leaders and that is partly for what she has done with opening up German borders to mass immigration all be it with some minor issues compared to the huge problem that Germany has coming with its large economic and manufacturing base and worker availability to keep current levels of growth. 

World populations have been collapsing for the last 50 years and it spite of the gloom merchants that we are going to over populate earth it would not be suprising to see them plateau in 2 or 3 more generations. Take the three largest population groups - India, China and the combined western population. China's one child quota has been lifted and there is not expected to be a more than slightly noticeable change. In Western cultures the large family unit has collasped over the last 50 years and India and other lower socio economice countries are now showing the same trends albeit being slower to start only over the last 30 years but it is happening at a very fast rate. We are living longer thanks to medical and technical improvements over the last few generations and not reproducing fast enough and that is falsely skewing current numbers. Germay is one of the worst examples of that with their populations bands where one would expect a good pyramid base at the under 10 and 20 groups but are bulging in their 30's, 40's and 50's age bands, narrowing as expected up to mortality but alarmingly tapering back in there 10, 20 and 30 year old age groups. And that is mirroring across the western world and starting to follow in the likes of India.

The reality is Germany needs a lot more that the million odd immigrants that have found there way there to keep the massive German machine ticking over. And in future not to distant generations those workers will become less available. Initally there was outcry from within Germany  but that all seems to have gone quiet over the later months so one (admittedly as an outsider) would have to consider that those masses have been absorbed into the German infastructure. The issue for Merkel is to sell that longer vision to the German voters. 

I have to oppose absolutely that World populations have been collapsing for the last 50 years. Obviously absurd given that we are now over 7 billion and rapidly increasing.

I'm assuming you refer to western populations. Irrelevant. The nation state is doomed and the migration of labour will be a fact, hopefully not too far away.

The problem with the present migration is that they are uneducated, and of a culture radically opposed to western values. Luckily there are millions that do fit the required demographic.

 

Also, AI is going to profoundly change western society in as yet unimaginable ways. Few if any low skilled jobs will remain for humans. When that happens migration of labour will cease to be necessary, and reduction of populations will become mandatory.

[maximillian]

On 21.11.2559 at 6:39 AM, Dagnabbit said:

And the Germans will most likely elect her again.

 

 

 

They will not elect her, they will vote for her party the CDU which will lose a lote of voters but most properly will still get the highest number of votes. And unfortunately all the other parties, except DIE LINKE, are willing to join in a coalition with the CDU, namely the SPD.

My guess: There will be some AfD members in parlament, maybe a return of the FDP to the Bundestag but CDU and SPD will form another big coalition again and NOTHING much will change.

Shame on all the parties who favoured CETA and TTIP.  Beware of the AfD, they are a bad bunch of neo-liberals, just like the FDP.  And don't forget: Germany is NOT a sovereign country. Ever since WWII the orders came from Washington to Bonn and now to Berlin. Whoever will be chancellor, German foreign policy is made in USA.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

She is a horrible, vile dictator who has caused the immigration disaster across Europe. Well Done Merkel. If am a fool well I will live with that, to see her gone and yes I know exactly what I wish for. The end of the liberal west, as it has never worked and is the cause of the problems in the EU.

I don't really understand your reply, but never mind. IMO the problem with "democracy" western style is that the sheeple have always gone for porridge today rather than eggs and bacon sometime in the future ie no appetite for waiting and working hard for a better future.

Only encouraged by governments that promise unsustainable things for the country to gain power.

Edited November 22, 2016 by thaibeachlovers

[maximillian]

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

She is a horrible, vile dictator who has caused the immigration disaster across Europe. Well Done Merkel. If am a fool well I will live with that, to see her gone and yes I know exactly what I wish for. The end of the liberal west, as it has never worked and is the cause of the problems in the EU.

 

You seem to be rather short sighted.  I am absolutely opposing Merkel, her party as well as her vice chancellor and his party. But... the final cause of the refugee desaster is the US policy, de-stabilizing countries like Ukraine, Egypt, Libya, Iran, Syria, Jemen and Somalia. As a wanted side effect there is a de-stabilization of Europe.