"She has not faced a credible challenge to her rule as German chancellor for more than 12 years. Now, members of Angela Merkel’s conservatives are starting to look ahead to potential alternatives to lead their party and country.
Merkel’s immediate fate depends on the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which votes on Sunday on whether their leaders should pursue coalition negotiations with her Christian Democrats after striking a preliminary deal last week.
A “no” vote could force fresh elections as well as renewed debate on the issue of succession.
Interviews by Reuters with more than a dozen party lawmakers indicate that the coalition talks have brought pressure from Merkel’s party for new faces to be included in the next cabinet and prompted early conversations on a succession plan."
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-politics-merkel/slowly-germany-begins-to-ponder-life-after-merkel-idUKKBN1F81EB
Merkel’s immediate fate depends on the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which votes on Sunday on whether their leaders should pursue coalition negotiations with her Christian Democrats after striking a preliminary deal last week.
A “no” vote could force fresh elections as well as renewed debate on the issue of succession.
Interviews by Reuters with more than a dozen party lawmakers indicate that the coalition talks have brought pressure from Merkel’s party for new faces to be included in the next cabinet and prompted early conversations on a succession plan."
https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-germany-politics-merkel/slowly-germany-begins-to-ponder-life-after-merkel-idUKKBN1F81EB