Merkel goes on the offensive:rule for full four years

Chancellor angela merkel (CDU) wants to stay in office for a full four years if the SPD members agree to a grand coalition.

"The four years are now what i promised. And I’m one of those people who keep promises," the CDU chairwoman said this evening on the ZDF program "berlin direkt. She does not feel a loss of authority. She announced that the names of the six CDU ministers would be announced by the party conference on 26. The CDU delegates are to decide on the coalition agreement with the SPD at a meeting to be announced on february.

There is considerable resentment in the CDU that the SPD, which with 20.5 percent had the worst federal election result in its history, is to get the key ministries of agriculture, finance, labor/social affairs and three other ministries. But in view of the SPD member vote on the coalition agreement, merkel seems to have chosen the lesser of two evils after the failure of the jamaika talks with the FDP and the greens, in order to get a stable government and avoid a new election. Merkel has governed since 2005. If she remains in office for a full four years, she will – with 16 years in office – be on a par with helmut kohl, who has so far ruled as chancellor in germany for the longest time.

Even after the withdrawal of SPD leader martin schulz, the negotiated distribution of portfolios will remain in place, she stressed. "That’s why it’s fixed for me."Before deciding to run for chancellor again, merkel stressed that she had discussed in detail with the CDU whether it was right to run for another four years. "That was affirmed at the time." Also she had checked herself very carefully. "I think that I am very reflective about what I see again and again."And that is why she is now saying that she wants to stay in office for another four years.

Merkel affirmed that this also applies to the party presidency. "For me, these two offices belong in one hand, in order to be able to form a stable government. It remains so," she stressed. At the same time, the chancellor announced a personnel renewal in government and party. Now it is a matter of showing that the CDU can compete with a new team. She had to make sure that not only the over-60s were included, but also the younger ones. The entire breadth of the party will be represented.

Former hessian CDU minister president roland koch called on merkel to sort out her succession. "The party leadership, and indeed the chairwoman angela merkel, owe the electorate an answer to the question of which is the next generation to take responsibility," koch told the "frankfurter allgemeine zeitung" (monday). He doesn’t think it makes sense to wait until the next election for a change in party leadership. FDP secretary general nicola beer said on twitter: "does merkel still seriously believe that she can decide this on her own?."

Facing sharp internal criticism, merkel defended the loss of portfolios such as the finance ministry to the SPD. "We have certainly paid a price as the CDU for a stable government," merkel said. "This is painful with the minister of finance."A failure of the negotiations about a rough coalition because of the ministries was however "not responsible". In the end, the ministries were discussed for twelve hours, reported merkel.

After martin schulz will not become aubenminister in the cabinet of merkel after giving up the SPD chairmanship, which is to be taken over by bundestag faction leader andrea nahles, due to internal resistance, she expressed great respect for schulz . She stressed that she had always negotiated fairly with him. "These are crazy times for him ". With a view to ironic statements by SPD secretary-general lars klingbeil, who said that if negotiations had gone on for another half day, the chancellorship would also have been in the cards for the SPD, merkel said: "an SPD secretary-general has to say a few nice words in these days."