German chancellor Angela Merkel have started to think that her successor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer may not be up to the job, according to two officials with knowledge of her thinking. As a result, the chancellor is more determined than ever to stay in power until her term ends in 2021, Bloomberg reports citing the officials.
Kramp-Karrenbauer’s failure to grasp the baton leaves Germany’s governing party flailing as the leadership prepares to meet June 2 and 3 to pore over the losses in the European Union election.
Merkel has resolved to spend no more political capital helping AKK, the officials said. But her ability to change the party’s direction is limited now that she has handed on control of the machinery. The chancellor is expecting to come under more pressure to step aside as AKK’s political problems mount, they added.
Kramp-Karrenbauer has seen her popularity slide since taking over as leader of the Christian Democratic Union in December, roiled the party with a failed effort to accelerate Merkel’s exit, and on Sunday oversaw the CDU’s worst ever result in a national election. Kramp-Karrenbauer’s approval rating slipped three points to 36% in the latest poll by public broadcaster ARD released May 2. That’s the lowest since she became party leader and almost 20 points behind Merkel.
