Germany's Merkel prepares to give up party job
German chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during her visit at the family support organization 'wellcome' in Berlin, Monday, March 6, 2017. (Michael Kappeler/dpa via AP) BERLIN -- Angela Merkel told her conservative party on Monday that she intends to step down as its leader but remain Germany's chancellor following a pair of state election debacles, German media reported. Merkel had previously indicated that she planned to seek another two-year term as leader of her Christian Democratic Union at a party congress in December, but appeared to be moving quickly to acknowledge pressure for renewal. Merkel has led the CDU since 2000 and has been Germany's chancellor since 2005. ews agency dpa cited unidentified party sources as saying Merkel told an ongoing CDU leadership meeting that she's prepared to step down as party leader but intends to remain chancellor. The mass-circulation daily Bild also reported that she said she won't run again as party leader. ...