Merkel says she wants to run for 4th term as German chancellor

German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced late on Sunday that she will run for a fourth term in office in general elections next year in order “to serve Germany … in these hard and uncertain times”.

Dpa, citing sources at the Berlin headquarters of Merkel’s Christian Democrat party, reported Sunday that she would seek re-election.

However, she rejected the responsibility that was pushed onto her after Trump’s win as “grotesque and absurd”. “It wasn’t a trivial decision, as this is important for the country, for the party, and for me personally”. Contrary to previous statements, she said past year: “Islam belongs to Germany”.

“No person, no person alone, even with a great deal of experience can face the things in Germany, in Europe, in the world. certainly not a chancellor of Germany”, she said. She said she wants to work for a cohesive society without hate.

“I told the CDU that I was ready to stand again”, Merkel said at press conference Sunday.

That reluctance stems in part from her upbringing as a Lutheran pastor’s daughter as well as a general post-war reluctance in Germany to be seen as grabbing power.

Her decision to allow around million asylum seekers into the country has dented her record.

A recent poll suggested up to 59% of Germans are in favour of her being re-elected, while just 39% want to see someone else in charge. Her approval ratings have declined, following the rise of the right-wing Alternative for Germany party, sex assaults on women committed by immigrants, as well as a wave of terror attacks this summer.

A poll Sunday showed that Merkel’s conservatives would draw 33 percent of the vote if the election were held this weekend, down nine points from the last national election in 2013. The party is nearly certain to enter national parliament after September 2017. A two-day visit by President Barack Obama on his farewell overseas trip underscored what’s at stake for Europe faced with uncertainty over the incoming Trump administration’s policy in areas such as free trade, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Russian Federation.

Reuters report that despite a voter backlash over her open-door migrant policy, Merkel is still seen as a stabilising force in Europe especially with the uncertainties occasioned by Brexit and the victory of Donald Trump as the 45 President of the United States.

U.S. President Barack Obama praised Ms. Merkel during a visit to Berlin last week and called on Germans to vote for her. Obama and Merkel will hold talks with British Prime Minister Theresa May, French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy today on Obama’s last trip to Europe as U.S. President.

She acknowledged the threat from far-left and right wing parties today saying “This election will be hard like no other election since the reunification”.

“Merkel could not impose her will on the distribution of refugees, nor on reform-minded fiscal discipline in Club Med”, said Joffe, referring to southern European EU members. Bavarian Premier and CSU leader Horst Seehofer, who is pushing for an upper limit of refugees that she refuses to impose, has withheld his party’s support for her candidacy.

At the same time, Social Democrats as well as the Green Party said that they are preparing for “tough competition” during the forthcoming election campaign, adding that Merkel’s position is now less secure than before.

Misgivings about Merkel’s refugee policy were blamed for a string of state election defeats for the CDU over the previous year, and sparked an open revolt by its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, which demanded a strict upper limit on incoming asylum seekers.

It is “time for party chairman Sigmar Gabriel to say whether he is running as a candidate for chancellor”, he added.

AfD leaders are still fighting over who should be the party’s first candidate for federal elections.