German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not stand for re-election when voters go to the polls on September 26, 2021. Her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is one of the most successful political parties in post-war Europe, and recent surveys of German public opinion show the CDU 15-20 percentage points ahead of its nearest rivals. Chancellor Merkel has been in power since 2005, making her the second longest-serving chancellor in post-war Germany. After the election, Germany will have not only a new chancellor, but likely also a different governing coalition. As her departure nears, Merkel’s legacy casts a long shadow over the CDU and the German political landscape.
On this episode of The Zeitgeist, Jeff Rathke talks with Simon Schütz, journalist and AICGS non-resident fellow, about the race for the Chairmanship of the CDU and what the result could mean for the federal election in 2021. Will a new leader be able to maintain the CDU’s edge over its rivals? What could the next coalition look like? And what effect could a change in German leadership have on foreign and domestic policy?

Host
Jeff Rathke, President, AICGS
Guests
Simon Schütz, Journalist and AICGS Non-Resident Fellow