German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she would run for a fourth term during the legislative elections in 2017, German news agency DPA reported, citing sources close to her CDU party.
Merkel (62) indicated to the leaders of her party meeting in Berlin that she intended to be re-elected president of the CDU in December and then stand as Chancellor during the legislative elections, according to the sources.
She is expected to formally announce her candidacy later on Sunday (a press conference is expected at 1800 GMT). It would end eight months of speculation over whether one of the world’s most powerful women would want to run again after 11 years in office.
The conservative leader is widely viewed as a stabilising force in Europe, particularly as it faces the challenges of Brexit.
Although her popularity has taken a hit recently, some 55% of Germans say they want to see her serve a fourth term (Emnid poll published in the Bild am Sonntag). The migrant crisis could be a defining feature of campaigning, after her party suffered in regional elections, while the anti-immigrant Alterntive for Germany (AfD) soared.
