While Merkel’s decision to open Germany’s doors to refugees in 2015 was lauded internationally, where Merkel was seen as a human rights champion, the decision led to significant backlash domestically. Amid periods of economic turbulence, Merkel has also managed to keep Germany’s economy afloat, making it one of the strongest economies in Europe. Throughout her tenure, Merkel has positioned Germany as an important leader within the European Union as well as on the international stage. She has served as Chancellor for more than 14 years. What does AKK’s resignation mean for the CDU?įor almost two decades, Merkel has been the leader of the CDU, a center-right party that under her leadership, has swayed further to the center. As anti-immigrant sentiment has grown in Germany, the AfD has become increasingly popular. When Merkel accepted 1 million mostly-Syrian refugees in 2015, however, the AfD shifted its focus, adopting an anti-immigrant and anti-Islam platform. “The AfD came along and said: there is an alternative we are that alternative,” Kundnani said. At the time, Merkel advocated for bailing out Greece, maintaining that there was no other alternative. The AfD was founded in 2013 by economic conservatives, initially in response to the eurozone economic crisis. ![]() Many saw the incident as a sign that AKK was losing control over her party. Merkel denounced the alliance, calling it “unforgivable.” She said that “you don’t win majorities with the help of Alternative für Deutschland,” calling it a “fundamental conviction” of hers and the CDU. 6, the CDU voted with the AfD to elect a pro-business Free Democrat as state premier in the central-eastern state of Thuringia, pushing aside the more popular left-wing leade and breaking CDU policy of refusing to work with the AfD. ![]() “They were looking for an alternative.” Why did she step down? “I think part of the reason she fell is because she just wasn’t very popular,” says Hans Kundnani, author of The Paradox of German Power, and a senior research fellow at Chatham House. AKK is also more conservative than Merkel, particularly on social issues such as gay marriage, which has tempered Merkel’s willingness to support her. The CDU has struggled to gain support in state elections, where parties on the right and left have swayed voters.
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